Saving Draco Malfoy
by Cuteblndegoddess
Summary: While on assignment Hermione finds an injured Draco and brings him back to number 12 Grimmauld Place to the dismay of Harry and everyone else. She finds out the secrets that have kept him on the run for over a year. Book 7 scenerio. HBP spoilers. Rated M
1. Found

**Disclaimer; I don't own Harry Potter or anything you recognize.**

**A/N Hi all! Here is a new story I started last night. I hope you like it. If you do I will continue. Happy reading and please please review!

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Found

Hermione Granger ran down the streets of a dirty South American city dodging carts and people as fast as she could. She had been spotted by suspected Death eaters who she was supposed to be keeping an eye on. Her long brown hair flew behind her as she ran panting and trying to catch her breath. She saw an out of the way pub and darted inside the door heading for the ladies room. She threw the barkeep some gold and he nodded before she shut the bathroom door behind her. A wave of her wand locked the door and she kept her ear close so she could hear any outside conversation.

"Senior, did a woman with long brown hair just come in here?" the man asked.

"No, been pretty dead all afternoon." she heard the barkeep tell him.

"You sure about that old man?"

"Si, I am sure."

"Check the next one." the death eater screamed before she heard them retreat out of the bar. Hermione waited fifteen minutes to make sure they didn't return before she left the ladies room.

"Gracias senior." Hermione said smiling at the old bartender.

"You are welcome miss, are you in trouble?" he asked.

"You could say that." she answered peering out the front window. The dusty streets were empty. She sat down at a stool and ordered water. The old man brought it and she gulped it down. She had been watching these men all last night and into the morning. She had accidentally sneezed due to the dust when they heard her and she ran for her life through the crowded streets. As soon as she finished her water she planned on apperating back to number 12 Grimmauld Place to give her report to Harry. Ron was on assignment with the order elsewhere. Just then she heard the doorknob turn. She dove behind the counter and put her finger to her lips. The barkeep nodded. Hermione heard a stumbling and then a loud thump. She tugged at the old man's pants and mouthed;

'What was that?'

He motioned for her to stand up. Hermione held her wand in her pocket just in case and stood up. There, on the floor by the entrance was a tall blonde man covered in blood. He was face down on the dirty floor. His clothes were ripped and dirty.

"Get me some rags and water please senior." she yelled and he nodded. As soon as the old man was out of sight Hermione pulled her wand out and pointed it at the front door. She waved it and said;

"Colloportus!" to keep other muggles from coming in while she found out what was going on. She hoped that this muggle had not felt the wrath of the death eaters because of her. She turned the man over and gasped. Bloody and broken in front of her was Draco Malfoy.

"Shit!" she yelled. Just then the man came back with a bowl of clean water and some rags.

"Can I get you anything else?" he asked. She shook her head no. Hermione grabbed the rag, dipped it in the water and wrung it out. Gently she wiped the blood off of his face checking for damage. There were several cuts and bruises marring his normally pale smooth skin, but nothing serious. Hermione's eyes were drawn to the cut on his abdomen where his shirt was torn. It was rather deep. She was having a moral dilemma now. No one had seen or heard from Draco Malfoy since the night he failed to kill Dumbledore on the astronomy tower over a year ago. He was presumed dead.

"Sir, do you have any bandages and can I have some alcohol to clean these wounds?" she asked. He ran off to the back room. Hermione took advantage and pulled out her wand again and said;

"Enervate!" Nothing happened.

"Enervate, enervate!" she said again and again hoping for some signs of life. Nothing happened. He had a pulse but not much else. His shallow breathing worried Hermione. She feared he might have a punctured lung. She knew she needed to move him quickly before whoever did this to him returned. He may have useful information about the whereabouts of death eaters, Horcruxes or even Lord Voldemort himself. She needed to act fast before the barkeep returned. She grabbed hold of him, closed her eyes and pictured Grimmauld Place in her mind. A sudden swirling and feelings of being pushed though a tube followed and she arrived in the front yard of a house that did not exist until she looked up. With all of her strength she dragged his limp body up the steps and into the aging house. As soon as she was inside of the front door she yelled;

"Harry, Harry where are you? I need help!" soon she heard footsteps running towards her.

"Hermione are you alright?" he called as he came into view.

"I'm fine, I just need your help." she said as she drug Malfoy into the living room.

"HERMIONE!" Harry yelled in surprise. "WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING HERE?"

"I was spotted by the Death Eaters and hid in a pub. He came stumbling in about 20 minutes later bloodied and unconscious." Harry helped her lift him onto the sofa.

"So why did you bring him back here?" Harry scolded.

"I thought he could have some useful information. We still have three Horcruxes to find. South America was a bust. The Death eaters down there were just torturing muggles. They had nothing useful."

"Damn." Harry said under his breath.

"It's been over a year since Malfoy has been seen. I wondered where he has been; maybe he knows the location of important information, or at least the location of Voldemort himself."

"But he is unconscious. Do you know what happened to him?" Hermione shook her head no.

"I thought I could try to take care of his wounds and then we could figure it out."

"Shit Hermione, why would you bring him back here?" He muttered as he motioned for her to follow him out of the room.

"Harry you told me how he acted on the astronomy tower, he may be a prat but I don't think he is evil. And like I said he could be useful." she told him sternly.

"Let's hope so." Harry said adjusting his glasses. Hermione went into the kitchen and retuned minutes later with a bowl of clean water and some clean towels. She passed Harry who was standing in the doorway glaring at Malfoy. Kneeling on the side of the couch she began to carefully clean the wound on his abdomen. It was quite severe. She dabbed at it with the water and gently washed off all of the dried blood and dirt. When it was as clean as she could get it she pointed her wand at him and whispered;

"Ferula!" and instantly his abdomen was wrapped tightly in bandages. She wiped his face and hands clean next carefully removing his ripped and torn shirt and discarding it in the nearby wastebasket.

"Harry, have you got any extra clothing?" she asked him. He leered back and rolled his eyes.

"I think so, hold on." he stormed off in the direction of his bedroom. She removed his shoes and socks next tossing those into the fire. She had never seen Malfoy look so worn and ragged. Like he had lived on the streets for the past year, which she reminded herself he probably had. Hermione had no desire to remove his trousers or under things so she waited for Harry to return.

"Uh, Harry…can you get the rest of his clothes off for me and redress him partially?" she asked in her nicest voice.

"Are you bloody MAD?" he shouted causing Hermione to put her finger to her lips to shush him.

"Come on Harry, you know I can't do it." she pleaded.

"No way. You brought him here, you take care of it." he said in a foul voice that wasn't his own.

"Do you really want me to see Malfoy naked?" she asked.

"Better you than me. I have enough nightmares." he said.

"Fine." she said shortly as she pulled off his ripped trousers.

"Here are the clothes." Harry said as he handed Hermione some pajamas and clean boxers. She ripped them from his hands and placed them next to where she was kneeling. Sighing heavily she wiped his legs with the cloth before she grabbed the waistband of his shorts. She half closed her eyes so as not to look and pulled them off in one swift motion. Hermione threw them into the fire and watched them burn before she pulled Harry's boxers on Malfoys slim frame. She reopened her eyes and pulled on the pajama bottoms. She looked him over. He looked much better then when she had first found him. She smiled to herself. He would probably be furious when he found out that it was her that found him and helped him. Hermione retuned her attention to his face. She cleaned it up as best she could. He only had minor scrapes and abrasions and a fat lip. She wiped the rest of the dirt from his face and hair. She looked over his sleeping face. He almost looked human when he slept. He stirred slightly when she wiped his forehead.

"Malfoy?" she said softly "Malfoy are you awake?"

"I can't…" he moaned. "Please, not her."

Hermione figured he must have known she was attending to his injuries. She backed away and sat in the chair across from the sofa watching his every move. It was 12 long and boring hours later and he still was sleeping. Harry came down the stairs rubbing his eyes.

"Hermione have you been up all this time?" he asked sleepily.

"I slept a little." she said yawning.

"Go to bed, I will keep an eye out." he said.

"No, I think he will freak out if he wakes up and finds you standing over him glaring like you are now."

Harry scowled.

"I am fine, but I could use some coffee or something." she said.

"I'll make some." Harry said as he left the room.

Hermione knelt by the sofa again and felt his forehead. It was cool and dry, a good sign against the infection Hermione feared. She wrung out the cloth and wiped his lips which were rather dry. His eyes fluttered under his eyelids.

"Mum…" he whispered.

"No Malfoy, can you wake up?" she asked.

"Not mum" he said before he became silent again.

Harry walked back in the room with two steaming cups of coffee. Hermione sipped it and it instantly woke her up.

"He been awake at all?" Harry asked thumbing at Malfoy.

"He's mumbled a few things, nothing coherent." she replied.

"Like what?" Harry asked.

"Something like 'I can't, not her, not mum.' didn't make any sense." Hermione said plainly.

"Weird." Harry replied.

They sat there in silence staring between the dying fire and Malfoy's lifeless body.

"I'm sorry Hermione. I have to go meet the rest of the order members, will you be alright with him?" he asked.

"I will be fine. I have a wand. He doesn't. Simple." she said waving her wand in a teasing manner.

"Alright. If you have any trouble you know how to get in touch." he said. Hermione knew he meant the patronous charm.

"I know."

"Also if there is any change, owl me. Hedwig is upstairs." Harry said sternly.

"Yes dad." she said mockingly.

"Bye 'Mione. Keep safe." he said walking out the door. She gave him an overly enthusiastic thumbs up as he closed the door.

"Like I can't take care of myself." she mumbled to no one. Minutes seemed like hours sitting there. Finally nature called. She didn't want to take any chances so she pointed her wand at Malfoy's body and said;

"Mobilicorpus!"

Instantly invisible stings attached to his arms and legs and he walked like a marionette up the rickety stairs. She moved him into the room she used when she stayed with Harry and placed him on the bed. When he was secure she ran at breakneck speed down the hall to the bathroom. She finished in less than a minute and ran back down the hall. Luckily, he was still out. Breathing a sigh of relief she sat on the edge of the bed next to him.

"Malfoy, come on, wake up." she said. Then to her surprise he stirred. His eyes fluttered open and he looked around the room finally setting his gaze on Hermione.

"What the…why are you…shit where am I?" he finally asked.

"Malfoy. You are safe. I found you near dead in South America. I apperated you back here. Do you remember what happened?" she asked all at once.

"Uh…no. Granger?" he asked as his eyes focused.

"Yes, you remember me then from school?" she said her brow furrowing.

"Yeah, you are the mudblood who is friends with the so-called chosen one. Harry freaking Potter." he said with as much sarcasm as he could muster.

"Watch who you are calling mudblood seeing as I saved you." she said annoyed. "And you are in Harry's house, wearing his clothes so let's have a little respect. He looked down at his bandaged stomach and pin striped pajama bottoms.

"Where the fuck are my clothes?" he asked.

"I burned them. They were filthy and disgusting and full of blood from that wound on your abdomen." He grunted in disapproval.

"Do you remember anything? How did you get injured?" she asked.

"I don't know." he said trying to sit up a little.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

"No, I just need to get out of here." he said attempting to stand.

"I don't think so. First the doors are all locked magically. Second you don't have a wand or proper clothes and third you are my ward right now. You may have useful information." she smiled. "Now are you hungry?"

"You can't keep me here mudblood against my will." he shouted.

"I can. Watch me." she said. "I am locking the door behind me." She walked out, shut the door and locked it with her wand before running downstairs to the kitchen where she sent off Hedwig with a note to Harry letting him know that Malfoy was awake. She then made a tray of soup, sandwiches and cold pumpkin juice hovering it upstairs with her wand. When she opened the door Malfoy was sitting on the bed sulking.

"I told you I didn't want any fucking food." he spat.

"Fine. I will just leave the food here by the bed." as soon as she sat it down he ate like a starving man. She looked back at him with narrowed eyes.

"I didn't want to be rude. I wasn't brought up that way." he mumbled in between bites.

"I didn't say anything." she said in a mock voice. She sat on the edge of the bed watching him.

"What?" he asked getting annoyed.

"Nothing."

"Why are you watching me mudblood?" he asked with a mouth full of food.

"What did I say about calling me that in this house?" she asked. "Don't."

"Then let me leave." he said attempting to stand but stumbling. Hermione stood up and caught him.

"You can't even stand up halfwit." she said slowly helping him sit back down.

"Fine." he said grabbing another sandwich.

Hermione thought she saw him breathe a sigh of relief.


	2. Draco's secret

**Disclaimer; I own nothing!**

**A/N Hi all! Thanks for the reviews. Here is the next chapter to this story. Happy reading and don't forget to review!****

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**Draco's secret**

As it turned out Malfoy's injuries were not as severe as she originally thought. That didn't stop him from whining and complaining about it endlessly though. Every time he whimpered Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Fuck Granger could you have wrapped this any tighter?" he whined.

"Malfoy it needs to be tight to keep it from bleeding. Didn't you even pass basic healing at school?" she stopped there remembering that he had not returned for seventh year when they learned that.

"Sorry." she mumbled.

"Whatever."

"Do you think you could try to act like a human being while you are here? I mean I did save your life…"

"Don't fucking remind me." he spat.

"I'm not rubbing it in or expecting some great favor in return, all I ask is that you treat me the way that I treat you. Deal?" she asked extending her hand.

"I guess." he mumbled but he did not take her hand. She felt foolish as she put her hand back at her side.

"So what were you doing down there in South America? Vacation?" he smirked.

"No, I was on assignment." she told him as she sat back at the end of the bed.

"For what?"

"For none of your business." she replied. He scowled.

"I'm bored."

"Well I am sorry to say that there is not much to do here. Harry uses this house just for overnight stays in London. His friends and other order members know where it is and how to find it. Actually your cousins used to own this place." she mused.

"Cousins? Who?'

"The Blacks. Sirius left Harry the house when he died."

"Fucking Potter gets all the luck eh?" he joked at the deplorable condition of the room they were currently in. It looked as if one strong wind would knock it over. Hermione laughed.

"Yeah."

"So is there anything to do around here besides watch the wallpaper peel?" he asked.

"Well I think there is a wizard chess game lying around somewhere but you wouldn't want to play with me." she said.

"No way would a mudblood beat me." he said proudly.

"What did I say about that name? Are you really this dim?" she yelled.

"Sorry, slipped. So why wouldn't I want to play with you?" he finally asked.

"I stink at wizard chess. Never could get the hang of it so you would just beat the tar out of me game after game." Hermione replied.

"Sounds like fun." he grinned.

"You would say that Malfoy." she stood up to get the game from the dining room.

Meanwhile Draco tried to get up out of bed again. He knew he needed to leave this place as quick as possible. Voldemort himself was planning to kill him. Draco, by the grace of the gods had managed to avoid and elude him for a full year. Word around was that Voldemort was growing weaker and didn't know why, but Draco was not about to take chances on that. He thought back to that night on the tower last year and to the events afterwards.

_Snape was pulling Draco by the arm out of the Hogwarts gates. Harry Potter was in pursuit of the duo but Snape was doing an effective job of keeping him away. When they stepped just outside of the gates Snape apperated the both of them back to his house on Spinner's end. The dimly lit grungy house smelled strongly of mold as they went inside._

"_What did you do that for?" Draco yelled at Snape when they were safely inside._

"_I completed your mission, just as I promised Narcissa. But there will be consequences I'm afraid." he said in an oily voice._

"_I'm not afraid." Draco said not believing one word of it. Suddenly out of the shadows a figure in a long dark hood appeared. Draco backed away slightly but then the figured lowered the hood and a mane of white blonde hair fell out. It was his mother._

"_Mum!" he said running over to her._

"_Thank you Severus. I don't know how I can repay you for this favor. I was so scared. He is my only child. The only good thing Lucius ever made." she hugged Draco tightly and wept into his neck._

"_Yes Narcissa, but there are going to be repercussions. The dark lord will not be happy I'm afraid." he said gravely._

"_I don't care. I don't wish to follow him if he had no regard for my son. Lucius failed him but that was no reason to put him in harm's way. Let me look at you Draco, you look ill." she cried._

"_I'm fine mum. I'm sorry I couldn't do it. I didn't think it was going to be so hard to kill him. But when I looked at him he was already weak, half dead. I felt, I don't know sorry for him." he told her._

"_Empathy is not a crime my son, no matter if your father thinks it is a weakness." she comforted him. "But now we must make plans to hide. Severus do you have any ideas?" she asked him._

"_Narcissa I am afraid the dark lord already knows you are here. He will arrive any moment. I cannot defy him anymore. I am sorry." he said turning away._

"_We must go mum. I know how to apparate. Let's go." he grabbed a hold of his mothers cloak but at that moment the house shook. Five hooded men burst through the front door._

"_Stop right there!" one of them yelled._

"_Draco, go!" Narcissa cried._

"_Not without you! You are all I have left!" he said grabbing her arm and trying desperately to apparate. He couldn't do it. He wasn't strong enough to transport the both of them. He tried whispering in his mother's ear the location but the men were advancing on them._

"_Just go son!" she yelled._

"_NO!" Draco cried as his mother wrenched his grip from her arm. She threw herself in front of the five men._

"_No, not her! Please not mum!" he said desperately. Narcissa managed to stun several of them with her wand to keep them from getting to Draco._

"_GO NOW!" she screamed. Her vivid blue eyes looked back to her only child. Draco saw tears running down her pale cheeks. He nodded at her and mouthed;_

'_I love you.' before apperating out of the house. He heard her scream as the room before him faded away. Tears streamed down his face because he knew he was alone. The next year was spent in over 46 places. Staying just a week or less in each place. He had no money and lived out of garbage cans and doing small jobs for people for food and shelter. He had avoided the Death Eaters until the last town in South America._

Footsteps brought him out of his memories into the present. Hermione was returning with the game. He quickly wiped his eyes on the sheets so she would not see him upset. Upon entering the room she looked at him oddly.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"No."

"Are you in pain?" she asked brow furrowed.

"No." he replied.

"Why are you crying then?" she asked.

"I'm not crying!" he said.

"It's okay if you are. I know that wound must hurt." she said in a soothing way.

"It's not the fucking wound." he spat back.

"Then what? Did you remember something?"

"Will you just fucking drop it Granger? Shit!" he said moving around on the bed trying to get comfortable.

"Let me help you." she said leaning over his body and grabbing the pillows behind him. She fluffed them and adjusted them so that he could sit up in bed better. He sat there motionless as her chest came very close to his face. He inhaled her perfume.

"Uh…thanks Granger." he said somewhat in shock.

"You are welcome. See how nice it is to be civil?" she smiled.

"I guess." he said with a scowl.

"Here set it up will you? I don't really know how." she admitted. He laid the board on the bed and set out all of the pieces. A minute later he was ready. Five minutes later he beat her.

"See." she said. "I told you." He smiled proudly.

"Let's play again." he said.

"No, I need to check your wound and then fix you some supper." she said. Carefully she removed his bandages.

"Be right back." she said and a minute later she returned with a small vial, basin and washcloth. She uncorked the vial and placed three drops of the liquid onto his gash. It sizzled and singed, but remarkably Draco felt no pain. She rang the cloth out in the basin and wiped the remaining dried blood and crust off of it before waving her wand to bandage it again.

"Pretty good Granger." he said admiring her work.

"After the war I am going to be a healer." she said. "That is if I make it." an uncomfortable smile played across her face.

He didn't really know what to say to that. He gave a sympathetic look to her before regaining his composure.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

He didn't want to answer. He didn't want to depend on her for anything but his stomach was growling loudly again. The sandwiches she had brought him had been his first proper meal in a long time. He nodded.

"Alright, I will be right back. Anything special?" she asked. He thought for a moment and shook his head no.

"Anything is fine." he said. Hermione was shocked by his polite behavior. She figured her little speech earlier had helped. She closed and locked the door behind her.

Draco tried to stand up once again but he just was too weak from his injury and lack of food. He looked down at his chest. Every rib protruded from his sallow skin. His fingernails were still dirty and ragged. Not like his former self at all. His usually pale shining hair was dirty and greasy and smelled like cigarettes. But for the first time in a year he felt safe, and it unnerved him. He knew he wasn't safe. He knew he never would be. He decided to stay a week or so and move on again. It was not the life he wanted but he would not let his mother's death be in vain. A few minutes passed and Hermione returned to the room carrying an incredibly large tray. It was heaped with several different things to eat, drinks and desserts. She sat the tray on the nearby nightstand and reached under the bed pulling out a bed tray. She placed a plate, cup and silverware on it and set it across Draco's lap.

"You don't have to…" he started. He felt like a child, helpless and scared.

"It's nothing I wouldn't do for any patient of mine." she said smiling. He noticed her smile. It was bright and cheery and it warmed his heart.

"Thank you." he mumbled.

"I never thought I would hear Draco Malfoy thank me." she joked.

"Yeah, well don't get used to it." he said smiling back slightly.

"I won't." she piled his plate high with lots of different foods. Some he had never seen or tasted before.

"What is this?" he said pointing at the noodles on the left side of his plate.

"You sure are sheltered. It's macaroni and cheese." she said. "I'm sorry I don't know how to cook very many things, even with magic."

Draco picked up a large forkful of it and put it in his mouth. He chewed and swallowed it quickly.

"It's good." he grinned.

Hermione blushed.

"Can I ask you something?" she said quietly knowing he probably wouldn't want to talk about it.

"Depends. You can ask. I don't know if I will answer." he said taking another bite.

"Where have you been? Where did you go after…" and she broke off in tears. Draco felt slightly guilty.

"Granger. It's a long story." he sighed. He felt the need to unburden his heavy heart.

"What else have I got to do?" she joked. He looked away. He had never told another living soul about the night Dumbledore died or about his mum sacrificing herself to save him. Could he trust her?

"You can't tell anyone else." he said seriously.

"I can't promise that Malfoy. You know we need to find and kill Voldemort. If you have information, no matter how insignificant you think it is, I need to report it to the order. However anything personal will not leave this room." her brown eyes looked determinedly at him.

"Alright." he said helping himself to more pumpkin juice. "Where do I begin?"


	3. Harry's Apology

**Disclaimer; I own nothing!**

**A/N Hi all! Here is the next chapter of my story. I have a feeling this is going to be a long one because of where I am taking it. I hope you enjoy it. It will not be all fluffy like some of my other stories. This is the first story I have attempted to write where Voledemort is still alive and it is proving tough. Happy reading and don't forget to review!

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Harry's Apology

Hermione sat in rapt attention as Draco told his story. He told her of being brought to the dark lord by Snape after the ministry fiasco at the end of their fifth year. Voldemort had told him of his assignment. To kill Dumbledore. He protested, saying if the dark lord himself couldn't do it, how would he be able to. Voldemort laughed saying that if he didn't do it both his father and mother would be killed and he would be forced to watch before his own impending death. He left the room and vomited outside. His mission started. He had to get Death Eaters inside Hogwarts. Voldemort assigned Greyback to keep an eye on him. He tried to fix the vanishing cabinets all year with no success. He knew his mum had went to Snape pleading for his help and he made an unbreakable vow to help him but Draco didn't trust him with the lives of his family. He tried to have the necklace sent to Dumbledore, then the mead only to fail. When he fixed the cabinet at the end of the year he thought he was going to succeed. He was wrong. When he had Dumbledore trapped he couldn't do it. The old man looked so frail, and he had always treated Draco fairly. But then Snape showed up and finished him off. Draco crumbled at that point. He knew his family would die. He told Hermione of Snape dragging him off and then about his mother's death. By the end he was in tears. He wiped them quickly so that Hermione wouldn't see. But she did. Her heart felt heavy by the end of his tale.

"So where have you been since that night?" she sniffed.

"I have been traveling." he said "Town to town, not staying long. Working and begging for food. Some glamorous life eh?" he joked trying to make her feel better.

"I'm so sorry." she said sincerely. "No one should have to go through something like that."

His silvery blue eyes were glazed with tears that he just couldn't stop from coming. Hermione reached around his shoulder and pulled his head down onto hers.

"Shhhh…" she comforted. He nestled his head into her warm neck. He hadn't felt so safe since his mother was alive. Then he came to realizing that she was holding him much too tightly for his own comfort. He pulled back and wiped his face.

"I'm sorry." she said "Are you alright?" He felt rage all of a sudden.

"I'm fine." he said shortly. "Just go." Draco turned his head towards the window and stared out.

"Do you need anything?" she asked as she stood up.

"Nothing." he replied.

"Fine." she huffed as she left the room. Hermione made her way down to Harry's room and threw herself on the bed. She was torn about what had just happened. She had actually felt sorry for him for a moment, but then he went back to his former cynical self. Just then she heard someone come in.

'Must be Harry.' she thought sitting up and making her way down the staircase.

"Hey 'Mione." Harry said tossing some things on the table.

"Hi Harry!" she said relieved to see his face. "How was the meeting?"

"It went ok. A few more deaths over the weekend in the town where you were spying. Muggles. But this time they killed kids as well. Lupin says it looked to be Greyback's work."

Hermione covered her mouth with her hands in utter horror.

"Oh Gods!" she cried. "Will this ever end?"

"3 more Horcruxes and I pray to the gods that it does." he said pulling her into a comforting hug. "How is Malfoy doing?"

"Ok, I got some information from him." she said proudly.

"Really? I didn't think he would ever talk to you."

"I actually think he was relived to be somewhere safe." she replied. "He has had a bad year since Dumbledore's death. Worse than you could imagine."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"The death eaters killed him mum practically in front of him. She gave her life to save his. It's a long story." she said sitting at the table and leafing through the papers Harry had brought home.

"Care to fill me in?" he asked.

"Not now, I promised him." she replied.

"Since when do you make promises with Malfoy?"

"Since I wanted information. Don't worry. I know what I am getting into."

"Wait Hermione; is he in still in danger?" Harry asked.

"I think the death eaters are still after him. They are going to kill him." she said.

"You don't think they can find him here do you?" he asked.

"If you are asking if he has the dark mark the answer is no."

"Well that is somewhat of a relief." Harry shrugged.

"Yeah, somewhat."

"So Malfoy's mother actually died to save him?" Harry asked.

"Yes." Hermione replied rolling her eyes. All the questions were getting on her already frazzled nerves.

"I wonder if he has any protection from it. You know like I did?" Hermione's eyes widened.

"You may be right." Hermione said excitedly. "I am going to look a few things up." she stood up and darted into the study grabbing several armfuls of books.

Upstairs Draco was planning how he was going to leave. He knew the room was full of charms and enchantments so trying to leave from there was impossible. A minute later he heard a knock at the door.

"Come in." he said quickly crawling back into bed. He expected Hermione. He got Harry.

It had been over a year since Harry had set eyes on Draco. Those final images of him up in the astronomy tower were burned into Harry's mind forever. That slight drop of his wand right before the death eaters arrived had totally changed Harry's mind about the person that was now sitting in bed in his house. Draco looked up and saw Potter's face. Draco's composure dropped as he looked up at the sparkling clean, well fed golden boy of the wizard world.

"Well?" Draco finally managed to blurt out as Harry just sat there staring at him.

"Well indeed." Harry said twirling his wand in his hand.

"Look Potter I know this is your house and I will be our as soon as Granger says I am well enough."

"I need to tell you something, well a few things. And I need to apologize." Harry said. Draco's face fell in shock.

"An apology from Saint Potter? What did I do to deserve this?" Draco asked.

"You didn't kill Dumbledore. You could have. You were supposed to. But you didn't. That means something to me." Harry said. Draco simply stared.

"I know about Voldemort's plan to kill your family. And you."

"Granger's big fucking mouth." Draco swore.

"I knew about that before hand." Harry corrected. "I just wanted you to know that I think that took real courage to stand up to Voldemort like that."

"Big deal. A lot of good it did me and my mum. And Dumbledore too for that matter." he said sarcastically.

"I'm sorry about your mum. And no Hermione didn't tell me that either." Harry lied. "The order knew."

"The order." Draco mimicked.

"Look Malfoy I know you are not thrilled about being here, and neither am I, but if you need to stay this is the safest place in the world. It is unplottable, and every enchantment known to wizard kind is in place to keep it secret. The Blacks did love their privacy." Harry joked. Draco feigned a smile.

"I don't think I should stay Potter. I appreciate Granger finding me and healing me but I need to move on." Draco sighed.

"Why?" Harry asked, eyes sparkling.

"I just…look, it's complicated." Draco said attempting to stand.

"Do you remember the first time we talked in Madam Malkins?" Harry suddenly asked.

"Of course." Draco said.

"I hated you." Harry said flatly. "From the first moment we met I hated you."

"Wow, I think I want to stay now." Draco said sarcastically.

"No, listen. Then on the Hogwart's express you wanted to be my friend, and I hated you even more."

"I can feel the love." Draco smirked.

"And for the next six years all I could think about was getting revenge on you for all of the mean things you did. And then, in the bathroom in our sixth year I got my chance. You were going to use the cruciatus on me."

Draco turned red.

"And I used a curse on you that I never bothered to find out the effects."

Draco remembered that day. A flash and searing pain before he fell to the ground.

"And?" Draco remarked.

"And I am sorry for that." Draco blinked twice and stared at Harry. "Now look, I want you to stay here. Hermione thinks you are planning to leave. I know we have not always gotten along but I think now that we are both adults we should let bygones be bygones. You will be safe here. Order members are in and out of here all the time. And like I said no one will find you here. Well?"

"Well what?" Draco asked.

"Are you going to stay or not?"

"For a while." he smirked.

"Good." Harry said before leaving the room.

Draco sat there for a moment. Harry freaking Potter had just apologized to him and asked him to stay in his home. He had not planned on it at first but decided it was as good of a place as any. And maybe much safer. He laid back and slept soundly for the first time in over a year.

Downstairs Hermione was pouring over books when Harry came in the room.

"Hey." she smiled looking up only briefly from her piles of books.

"Just talked to Malfoy. I think I convinced him to stay." he said.

"How did you do that?" Hermione asked in a stunned voice.

"I apologized and asked him to. I didn't tell him that you told me anything. Let him think the order knew everything already. But now we can keep an eye on him and maybe get some more information."

"Is that the only reason Harry?" she asked knowingly.

"Uh…well no.' he mumbled. "I feel bad for him. Losing his family. It had to be harder on him. He grew up with them. I never really knew mine. And he defied Voldemort. That had to be just as tough knowing who his father is."

"You are something Harry." she smiled.

"Have you found out anything about his mum's sacrifice?" Harry asked.

"A little. Seems like he will have some protection against Voldemort or any of his followers for a while. How long, I can't say." she said shutting a heavy book with a green leather cover. "How is the horcrux hunt going?" she asked.

"Not well. No new leads on the cup. And the mirror of Erised has disappeared completely from Hogwarts."

"What did the other member's say when you told them we discovered it was Rowena Ravenclaw's?" Hermione pondered.

"They were amazed at your detective work as usual." Harry smiled.

"I just wish I could help you find it." she sighed. "I am going to talk to Malfoy and see if he needs anything." she said standing up and stretching.

"Alright." Harry said not looking up from his piles of papers.

Hermione walked up the creaky stairs and knocked lightly on the bedroom door.

"You awake?" she called softly. Draco looked up and saw Hermione standing shyly at the door waiting for an invitation to come in.

"I am." he said.

"I need to check your wound." she said.

"Great." he pulled off the sheets exposing his abdomen. Hermione peeled away the wrap and looked over the cut.

"It looks much better. How do you feel?"

"Okay." he said.

"I need to tell you something Malfoy." she said staring into his pale eyes.

"What?" he asked.

"I did some research in the library. Your mum's sacrifice may have left you with a slight amount of protection against the death eaters." she said.

"Really?" he looked shocked.

"Harry had protection for 16 years from his mum's sacrifice. I don't know how long yours will last seeing as you are older, but I think it's worth looking into." she said. "Do you need anything else?" "Look is there anyway I could shower or take a bath?"

"Do you feel up to it?"

"I guess."

"Well come on then I will help you down the hall." she extended her arm and he cautiously took it. He made a slow journey down the hall with her holding up his weak body. He stumbled twice and her face looked concerned.

"I don't think you should stand and shower Malfoy. I will run you a bath. Have a seat." she pointed at the closed lid of the toilet. He sat down and she bent over in front of him and turned on the faucets. Being a man his eyes were drawn to her behind. He caught himself and quickly looked away. The tub filled quickly and she stood up.

"All set!" she said. "Yell for me if you need anything." She walked towards the bathroom door. Draco stood up and attempted to remove his pajama bottoms.

"Ohh…" he cried. Hermione ran back in.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." he said embarrassed.

"Need help?" she asked.

"I'm not a fucking child!" he spat. Hermione furrowed her brow at him.

"Fine." she started to walk away again.  
"Granger!" he yelled. "I'm sorry. I just hate not being able to do things for myself. Can you help me get these off?" She nodded kneeling in front of him and pulling them off quickly. Soon he was left in just Harry's boxers.

"You are on your own with that." she smiled. "Bad enough I had to put them on you." Hermione blushed, Draco looked mortified.

"I will just wear them in." he said. "Are there any more lying around here?" he joked.

Hermione nodded again.

"I will get you some fresh clothes." and she ran down the hall.

Draco stepped into the bath tub. The water was hot and full of scented bubbles. His whole body relaxed immediately. He had not had a proper bath for so long. Hermione returned a minute later and placed some fresh clothes on the sink.

"There you go." she said proudly. She looked over at the tub and blushed. Draco was struggling with washing up. He had no muscle tone anymore and every move he made looked painful.

"Not to treat you like a child or anything but do you want some help?" Draco thought about saying something smart with sexual undertones but decided against it. He nodded meekly. She grabbed the sponge and lathered it up generously. She washed slow circles on his back. Lots of bruises that were in various stages of healing were highly visible once she washed the dirt off. The more she washed the paler his skin became. He tuned to face her and she did the same for his chest, letting her finger graze across certain areas. Her skin tingled. Hermione grabbed a soft washcloth and wet it. She leaned closer and gently washed his face and neck. He stuck out his hands and she washed him as well, cleaning his nails. His formerly soft hands were rough and calloused. Once they were cleaned she had him dunk his head underwater and wet his hair. She shampooed it three times until his white blonde hair shone. She thought he looked like a small child, frail and unhappy sitting there among the suds. By the time she was done he felt better than he had in a year. Unfortunately he was unable to stand up on his own. Hermione averted her eyes and grabbed his hand helping him to stand up. She handed him a towel. When he wasn't looking she glanced at him for just a second. He looked beautiful.


	4. Confessions

**Disclaimer; I own nothing!**

**A/N Hi all! Sorry for the late update but it wouldnt let me upload the chapter last night. Happy reading and don't forget to review!

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Confessions

Quietly evening came at number 12 Grimmauld Place. Hermione fixed Harry and Draco some dinner. Harry ate in the dining room alone, pouring over stacks of papers and learning complicated charms and jinxes. Hermione took her dinner up to eat with Draco and keep an eye on him. Harry wanted more information from him and thought Hermione might be able to get it but Hermione protested. She said he needed to open up on his own time and not until he was well. Harry scowled but left her to her own decision. She knocked softly on the door and found him sleeping soundly on the bed. His chest rose and fell with each labored breath. She gently set the tray on the small table and sat next to him on the bed. Her whole soul hurt with his pain. She didn't know why this was affecting her so. He had been horrible to her for as long as she could remember. Hermione placed her hand on his arm and tenderly shook him awake. His pale silver eyes slowly opened and focused on the brunette that sat next to him.

"What time is it?" he asked groggily.

"About 10, sorry dinner is so late." she told him.

"Its alright." he tried to sit up but Hermione ended up helping him again.

"Thanks." he mumbled. Hermione smiled.

"I brought you some dinner." she said placing a bowl of stew and some bread on his tray. Next she poured him a large glass of pumpkin juice.

"You don't have to do all this." he said embarrassed.

"I know." she replied.

He took large bites of stew and gulped the juice. He ate like a starving man.

"You must be feeling better." she joked sipping her stew nimbly.

"Much." he said finishing what was on the tray.

"Would you like some more?" she asked offering him her bowl.

"No, maybe later if it is not too much trouble."

"Alright. I will leave you alone then." she said standing up with her half-eaten bowl and heading towards the door.

"Granger!" Draco called. She turned around and looked back at the blonde.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Don't go. I am tired of being alone." he admitted turning a deep shade of red that was highly visible on his newly clean skin.

"Are you sure?" she asked raising one eyebrow at him. He smiled weakly. Hermione noticed that when he wiped that smirk off of his face he was quite handsome.

"Alright. What would you like to do?" she asked sitting on the edge of the bed. "And no wizard chess." He shrugged his shoulders.

"I have an idea. Why don't you tell me about your childhood." she said placing her hand on his. He jumped a bit not being used to such close contact.

"You mean talk? Like real people? Why?" he asked suspiciously.

"I think it would help me understand you. You are very complicated Draco." she blushed at the use of his first name. Draco noticed her slip up but chose to ignore it.

"Hmmm…let me think. I don't know where to begin. And what I say stays in this room right?" he asked.

"Like I said before, I can't promise anything." she said.

He scowled.

"How about your first good memory." she said.

"That is easy. My mum reading to me as a small child. Father hated that she mollycoddled me so much so by the time I was 5 she was forbidden to hold or hug me. But since father was gone so much she took every opportunity to spend time with me. She would sneak into my room at bedtime and tell me stories of dragons and knights and princesses. She would hold me in her arms after a beating my father had given me and rock me back and forth telling me everything would be alright in the morning. It rarely was." he looked at Hermione waiting for some sign that she found this funny, but in her eyes all he could see was compassion.

"What about you?" he asked.

"My childhood? Or my first good memory?" she replied.

"Your first good memory." he watched her expression.

"Well my childhood was normal I guess for a muggle. I went to school, watched TV, read books and such. But my first really good memory was when I got my Hogwarts letter. My parents thought it was a joke until Dumbledore met with them and explained things. Then they were happy, but having me at school 10 months out of the year was hard on them. I am an only child and I think it hurt them a little." she smiled slightly. "What about your first bad memory?" she asked.

"I don't have a specific first. Any memory of my father was bad. From as far back as I could remember he would hit me for punishment. Usually used his cane." he stopped there blushing deeply.

"I'm sorry." she whispered. "I shouldn't have asked that.

"It's alright." he said. "Your turn."

"Hmmm…I don't think I have many bad memories before I went to Hogwarts. I didn't have many friends in school so when I got to Hogwarts and had Ron and Harry I was so happy. Honestly my first bad memory is the first time someone called me 'mudblood'." she looked into his eyes to see if he realized who that person was.

"Me." he said emotionlessly.

"Yes, you. I didn't know what it meant at first, but then Ron explained it when we got to Hagrid's house that day. I felt terrible." Her stomach felt tied in knots and she sat there silently looking down at the floor for a moment.

"Sorry." he mumbled.

"Excuse me?" she asked startled.

"I said I was sorry." he repeated.

"I heard you the first time I was just shocked." she replied.

"I should never have said those terrible things to you. I was jealous."

"Of me? Why?" she blurted.

"You had the best grades and lots of friends. I had no one." he said sadly.

"You had Crabbe and Goyle right? And Pansy."

"Crabbe and Goyle were forced to keep an eye on me by father. Same goes for Pansy. She pretended to like me but it was all on father's instructions."

Hermione felt even worse than she had before. She knew how it felt to have no friends at school.

"Now I am the one who is sorry." she said in a soothing voice. "I always thought you had it all together."

He managed a weak smile and a laugh. They both sat there in an uncomfortable silence for a moment. She looked at the clock by the window and realized it was nearly 12. She had slept in the chair last night and it did nothing for her. But Malfoy was sleeping in her bed. She decided to conjure another bed in her room so she could keep an eye on Malfoy.

"Do you need anything before I turn in?" she asked. He shook his head no. She nodded and waved her wand. A large bed appeared in the opposite corner of the room.

"I'll be right back then." she said before leaving the room.

Draco sat there for a moment. He had just shared an actual conversation with Granger. He told her things he had kept inside for years and years. Just talking to her made him want to open up and let all of his pent up emotions out. He smiled and blew out the candle on the nightstand. It darkened the room immediately and bathed it in moonlight from the tall windows. She returned fifteen minutes later in a long white cotton nightgown smelling of vanilla and lavender. His eyes grazed across her figure as she walked towards his bed.

"Are you sure you don't need anything?" she asked. She touched his hand gently and smiled.

"I am sure." he replied. "Thank you for everything."

Hermione suddenly was overcome with emotions. Tears poured from her cinnamon eyes onto Draco's sheets.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"I just…I feel so bad for everything you have been through." she sighed. "It just got to me that's all."

He couldn't help but feel content that someone was there for him.

"Don't cry over me." he said in a husky voice.

Suddenly she leaned over and hugged him tightly. He was taken aback by her warm body pressed against his. Her curls cascaded across his bare chest tickling him. He inhaled her scent and reached up around her neck to hug her back. For the first time in a long time he felt safe and happy. She held him briefly and then let him go.

"Everything will be okay in the morning." she said softly as she walked towards her bed.

"I know." he smiled.

Morning peaked just outside of the windows early the next day. Hermione was up first. She stood up and stretched looking around the room. Crimson streaks of morning light fell across Draco's head giving his hair the appearance of being on fire. She smiled and left the room to get breakfast. Harry was asleep at the table on top of a pile of papers. She shook her head and walked over to him.

"Harry? Harry wake up." she said as gently as possible.

"'Mione what time is it?" he asked groggily.

"Early, around 6. Do you want breakfast?" Harry shook his head no.

"Ron will be back today." Harry suddenly remembered. "He's not going to be pleased about Malfoy's presence." he said.

"He will have to get over it. I think Malfoy knows more than he realizes. It's just a matter of getting close." Hermione stated.

"Just don't get too close. We don't know what he is or what he is capable of just yet. All you are to do is get information." Harry lectured her. Hermione rolled her eyes at him.

"I can't help but feel sorry for him. His life was terrible living with that monster Lucius." she told him.

"Well just keep in mind who you are dealing with." Harry warned before starting in on his papers once more.

Hermione fixed a quick breakfast and went upstairs to wake Draco up. When she opened the door she realized quickly that she had forgotten to lock it. Draco was not in bed. Frantic she ran up the hallway to Harry's room. He was not there either.

"Harry!" she yelled. "Harry come quickly!" Footfalls approached as Harry ran down the hall to find her.

"Hermione what is the matter?" he asked.

"Malfoy is gone. I forgot to lock the door and when I came back up he wasn't in bed!" she cried.

"He is still in the house. No one can leave without knowing how." Harry said calmly. Just then both of them heard the toilet flush. Draco walked out of the bathroom and stared at Hermione who was frantic and Harry who was stunned.

"Morning." he grinned.

"You prat!" she yelled. "I thought something happened and you left. You scared the daylights out of me." she slapped him on the arm playfully. Harry rolled his eyes and walked back downstairs.

"Nature called." he said. "I couldn't wait any longer. Besides, I promised Potter I would stay for a while and a Malfoy is good on his word." Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.

"Breakfast is ready." she said calmly walking down the hall towards her room. Draco followed at a much slower pace but did not require help. He was out of breath by the time they reached the room and Hermione helped him to sit up in a nearby chair.

"Feeling better I see?" she asked mockingly. He was too busy shoving food in his mouth in a good imitation of Ron at the dinner table.

"Ron will be back today. I don't know how he will react so try to be civil." she said.

"I will if he does."

"Fair enough." she said taking tiny bites of fruit. The sunlight was pouring into the windows night lighting up Hermione's caramel hair with highlights of gold. Her skin was glowing as she sat across from him silently eating. He was still reeling over the hug they shared last night. How could she go from hating him to treating him so nicely after all he had done to her?

"Why are you being so nice?" he suddenly asked.

"This is my nature. I have always had to take care of Ron and Harry. I am used to it." she said matter-of-factly.

"I hope they appreciate you." he told her. She beamed at him.

"Do you fell well enough to go downstairs today?" she asked him.

"I think so." he replied.

"Look, I need to ask you something, Harry will have my head if he knew." she said nervously biting her lip.

"What?" he replied.

"Well it's just that you know Harry is the one that is going to defeat Voldemort." Draco looked skeptical.

"It's just that if you have any information that might help us…all the deaths…I can't take much more." she said. "All I am asking you to do is go over some papers with Harry and see if you know anything. It's not like I am asking you to join the order or anything." Draco pondered this for a moment. If Potter defeated the dark lord he might be free. And being free was what he wanted the most. Free to live his own life.

"I will look them over," he said "but I can't promise anything."

Hermione smiled.

"Finish your breakfast and we will get started."


	5. Ron's arrival

**Disclaimer; I don't own the characters of Harry Potter.**

**A/N Here is the next chapter. I have to say I really like where this story is going. I hope you do too. Just to clear up some confusion Dumbledore destroyed Marvolo's ring after their fifth year. He couldnt havedestroyed it after thier sixth year because he had died :( I hope that cleared up any confusion for this chapter.Happy reading and don't forget to review.****

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**Ron's arrival**

After breakfast Hermione helped Draco down the stairs and sat him at the dining room table. Harry barely looked up from his work.

"Harry," Hermione called "you need some rest. Let us go over some of these things. It won't do you any good to discover anything if you are too tired to remember it." she said soothingly. Harry looked at her with bloodshot eyes.

"'Mione you know how important this is." Harry scolded in a weak voice.

"I can handle it for an hour or so while you rest. Now I won't take no for an answer."

"Yes mum." Harry said sarcastically. Just then he realized Malfoy was there.

"Feeling better?" he asked wearily. Malfoy nodded. "Hermione can I have a word?" Harry motioned towards the sitting room.

"Be right back." she said to Draco before following Harry into the darkened room.

"What is he doing down here?" Harry asked.

"I thought he could help. Look, he may know something. Any one of those papers could trigger a memory." she told him.

"What if he is a spy?" Harry asked slightly annoyed.

"He's not. I will take full responsibility for him while he is here." she told him.

"Fine. Just be careful." he said hugging her before heading upstairs. Hermione returned to the dining room and sat down next to Draco. He was looking over the papers that were sitting in front of him.

"So, see anything that you recognize?" she asked him leaning close to read the paper he was holding.

"Not yet." he said, silver eyes scanning the rolls and rolls of parchment.

"There are lots of books to go through." she sighed.

"What exactly are we looking for? I mean how will I know if I have found something if I don't know when I have found it." he said staring at her.

"Alright, I will fill you in on the basics. Voldemort found a way to split his soul. Into seven pieces to be exact. He stored these pieces in items that meant something to him. They are called Horcruxes. Harry and Dumbledore have already destroyed three of them. There are three more to find. Once all six are gone Voldemort will be mortal. He can be killed." Draco's mouth hung open slightly.

"I heard when I was on the run that he was getting weaker and he didn't know why." he suddenly said.

"Well that is because half of his soul pieces are gone. There are three more things to find. Helga Hufflepuff's cup, Rowena Ravenclaw's mirror and Voldemort's snake Nagini. Harry destroyed the diary your father gave to Ginny Weasley in his second year. Dumbledore destroyed Marvolo Gaunt's ring just after our fifth year. That's why his hand had died. Apparently only Harry can destroy the Horcruxes without harm coming to him. And when we returned here after Dumbledore's death we found the locket that Sirius' brother had hid here. Harry destroyed it. And that's where we are now. Three Horcruxes to go. No clue where to look."

"I don't see how I am going to help you." he admitted. "I have been out of touch with most of the wizard world for the past year and I don't even have a wand."

"Well, if we need you that will be our first priority." she said rifling through the stack of papers closest to her.

"Right now we need to research Rowena Ravenclaw's mirror. It used to reside at Hogwart's in our first year. After that Dumbledore moved it to a secret room. Voldemort found it in our first year when he tried to get the sorcerer's stone. We don't know what happened to it after that."

"What exactly is it?" he asked. "I mean I know what you mean by a mirror but is it large, small, what?"

"It's quite large. About 8 or 9 feet tall. It is inscribed at the top with a saying. It is called the Mirror of Erised."

"Never heard of it. What is the saying that is inscribed on it?" he asked more curious than ever.

"It says 'ERIDEDSTRAEHRUOYTUBECAFRUOYTONWOHSI'"

"What language is that?" he asked.

"English." she laughed. "It means 'I show not your face, but your heart's desire.' It's just written backwards."

"Oh," he replied. "So what does this mirror do?"

"When you look into it, it shows your deepest desires. For instance when Harry looked into it he saw his mum and dad alive."

"Oh." he said again feeling like he would very much like to look into this mirror and see his mum again.

"So we have been all over looking for it. Of course we searched Hogwart's first. Top to bottom. No sign of it."

"I see." he said grimly. "I would have no idea where to even start looking for that. But if there was anyone who would know it would be my father."

Hermione's mouth fell open in surprise.

"He is locked up in Azkaban. And even if he wasn't he would not help the order. Or you for that matter."

"I know, but Malfoy manor is empty. Death eater's meet there occasionally but only at night. We could go through my father's things and see if there are any clues." he said.

Hermione looked hopeful.

"When Harry wakes up we will talk it over with him. In the meantime let's finish this stack of papers over here." Draco nodded and began to read.

About an hour later the pair heard footsteps coming from the entrance hall. Soon after a mop of red hair entered the dining room.

"Hermione!" Ron called opening his arms wide. He had grown even taller it seemed to Hermione. His skin was tanned and looked to be covered in one gigantic freckle. He had cut his hair shorter and it suited him well.

"Ron, I missed you!" she said hugging him tightly. "How did it go?"

"Fine, nothing going on in the states right now. Florida was nice." he grinned. Then he noticed the blonde sitting at the table trying to look inconspicuous.

"What is _he _doing here?" he seethed.

"I found him injured while on assignment. I am not going to go into it now but he has agreed to help us in the Horcrux hunt. Harry trusts him and that is that. Got it Ronald?" she put her hands on her hips and tapped her shoe showing that she meant business.

"Right." he said throwing his traveling sack on the floor next to the table. "What's to eat?"

"I can make something quickly but we have already eaten breakfast. I made Harry take a rest. He has been working non-stop for days." she said going into the kitchen and leaving the two men alone.

"So." Ron said in a mock nice voice.

"So…" Draco replied coolly.

"What is this little scheme of yours Malfoy? Spy? Traitor? What?"

"Look, not that it is any of your business but I was just as shocked as you when Granger found me. She saved my life. I am repaying my debt."

"I will be watching ferret, and know that I will find out if you do anything to jeopardize Harry's mission. This is the most important thing maybe that will ever be done for the wizard world."

"Agreed." Draco said to Ron's utter shock.

"We'll see." Ron said as Hermione came out carrying a large platter of food and set it in front of both of them.

"Eat up." she said cheerfully before heading upstairs to talk to Harry.

In Harry's room he laid on his bed tossing and turning. Nightmares plagued his every dream. People and children being tortured into submission and him helpless to stop it. He woke up in a cold sweat to hear Hermione softly knocking at his door.

"Harry, are you okay? I heard screaming." she said peering through the crack in the door.

"Fine, just a dream. Come in." he said. For the first time in weeks Hermione noticed how terrible he looked. Pale skin, red rimmed eyes and a permanently tired expression on his face.

"Did you get any rest?" she asked.

"Not really. What brings you up?"

"Ron just got here." Harry's eyes perked up. It had been three months since he had sent Ron on a dangerous mission to find an American witch who used to specialize in teaching Horcrux creation. She was always on the move and it was rumored that she herself had made over 100 Horcruxes. Ron had just missed her in Florida.

"How does he look?" Harry asked worried.

"Great, like he had been on vacation." she smiled. "He is eating with Malfoy now."

"That had to be a sight." Harry commented.

"They are getting on fine." she replied. "There is something else though. I think it is worth looking into."

"What is it 'Mione?" he asked, emerald eyes focusing only on her.

"Malfoy recons that his father might have notes and important stuff hidden in his old house. He said the Death eaters meet there sometimes but only at night and his father is locked in Azkaban. I think we should head there tomorrow morning. All four of us and check it out."

"What if it is a trap Hermione? He could be setting us up for the Death eaters."

"I don't think so Harry. He seems to loathe Voldemort for killing his mum. He was attached to her."

"We won't be giving him a wand." Harry said in a commanding voice. Hermione nodded.

"Agreed. When you feel up to it come downstairs and we will discuss plans. Do you think we should call Ginny, Neville and Luna as backup?"

"Not this time. But maybe we should fill in Lupin and the elder order members on our plans."

"I will send an owl when I get downstairs. Can I use Hedwig?" she asked. Harry nodded and flung himself back down on the bed taking off his glasses and rubbing his tired eyes. Four of them going on a mission. Could he trust Malfoy? He reached under his mattress and grabbed a small vial of Veritaserum.

'I will slip this in his drink at dinner and find out before we commit to this.' he thought before stowing it back under the bed.

That afternoon that four of them scoured through piles of papers and mountains of books. It was nearly 7 before Hermione realized that they had gone the entire afternoon together and had forgotten to eat.

"I'll get dinner." she said wearily.

"No 'Mione let me get it tonight. You don't have to take care of us all the time, you do too much as it is." Harry said standing and heading for the kitchen.

"Thanks Harry." Hermione said smiling.

Harry headed upstairs briefly before starting dinner. He had grabbed his small bottle of veritaserum to put in Malfoy's drink. He decided that this was too important to simply trust someone who had been deceptive in the past. They would be going into a death eater's meeting place. Harry refused to lose the two people who meant the most to him in the world. Harry waved his wand and a huge meal appeared. He didn't know why Hermione bothered to cook the muggle way anymore. He supposed she was just used to it. He levitated the tray from the kitchen into the dining room and set it down gently on the huge wooden table.

"I'll be right back with the drinks. Any requests?" he asked.

"Just some pumpkin juice." said Hermione.

"Anything." Ron said.

"Same." Draco replied.

"Alright." Harry said slipping back into the kitchen. He poured four glasses of pumpkin juice and added three tiny drops of the potion to the one right by his left hand so that he wouldn't give it to Ron or Hermione. He entered the dining room and handed everyone their glasses. They had already began to eat the dinner he had prepares. Roast beef and roasted potatoes. The four of them ate heartily and soon their stomachs were full. Ron cleared the table and they went back to work. After fifteen minutes Harry started to interrogate Draco in a casual manner.

"So Malfoy, do you really think that there is information in your father's house?" he asked.

"I dunno. I know that our library is filled with books on dark arts and such that you would be hard pressed to find anywhere else."

"You don't know when the death eaters meet though."

"At night. No regular times. That's why I said we should go in the daytime. Only the house-elves will be there and they will take orders from me."

Harry didn't know what to think. He was obviously telling the truth and yet he didn't seem surprised by the words coming from his mouth. Most people that are under the influence of veritaserum don't want to tell the truth. Harry could only assume that he had been telling the truth all along.

"So where have you been since you fled with that slimy git Snape?" Ron suddenly asked. Harry kicked him under the table.

"What?" he asked shrugging.

"You are such a prat Ron." Hermione huffed.

"It's okay." Draco suddenly said. Hermione looked shocked. "I have been hiding."

"Figures." Ron mumbled.

"Death Eaters killed my mum, right in front of me. She died to save me and I wouldn't give those bastards the satisfaction of killing me." he said before turning red.

"Draco you don't have to…" Hermione started.

The three men looked at her oddly. She blushed realizing she had called him Draco.

"I mean you don't have to tell my insensitive friend there anything." she said.

"I know."

"Alright." she said defeated.

"Anyway, I went from town to town working to stay alive. I was nearly caught and killed when Granger here found me."

"Malfoy working? HA!" Ron blurted. "How did it feel having to earn something for once?" he laughed.

"Ronald Weasley!" Hermione shouted. "How dare you!" Her fists were balled up on the table top and her face bright red.

"I don't need anyone to fight my battles for me!" Draco yelled at Hermione. "Especially you!"

Draco stood up and walked up the staircase. His pale face red. Harry looked ready to choke Ron. Hermione stood up ready to follow him.

"I don't know if that is a good idea 'Mione." Harry said seriously. She ignored him and bounded up the staircase after him. The door to her room slammed shut a second before she reached it. She turned the knob and went inside. On the bed Draco sat hands over his face.

"I'm sorry." she said. "I didn't realize you were ready to tell your story. Ron is a prat sometimes." She sat on the bed next to him.

"I wasn't ready. I just felt like I should. Like I didn't have a choice." he replied quietly.

"Thank you." he told her. "For sticking up for me."

"Its nothing." she said wrapping her arms around his shoulder.

"I shouldn't have shouted at you. You were only trying to help." he said.

"I know." she patted his shoulder lightly. He laid his head on hers and sighed.

"I never thought my life would turn out this way." he said.

"Me either." Hermione admitted. She had such high hopes when she entered Hogwarts, now she just hoped she lived long enough to become a healer, find her true love and have a family.

"Never thought I would be sitting her confiding in you." he grinned. She lowered her head and smiled back.

"Me either." His pale eyes invaded her own as they shared a moment of uncomfortable silence. And then he brought his head up just slightly. Close enough to see every speck of silver in his eyes that gleamed in the rooms pale light. Close enough for him to count every eyelash on hers…


	6. Malfoy Manor

**Disclaimer; JK Rowling's genius mind thought all of this up. I own nothing!**

**A/N Hello, here is the next chapter. Thanks for all the reviews! Happy reading anddon't forget to review!**

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Last chapter...**

"Me either." His pale eyes invaded her own as they shared a moment of uncomfortable silence. And then he brought his head up just slightly. Close enough to see every speck of silver in his eyes that gleamed in the rooms pale light. Close enough for him to count every eyelash on hers…

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**Malfoy Manor**

Just then the door opened and Hermione brought her head up leaving Draco's head still resting on her shoulder.

"Everything alright?" Harry asked entering the room but not acknowledging seeing what nearly happened.

"It's fine." Hermione said. "Why is Ron acting like such a jerk?" she asked.

"I think he is having trouble getting over Malfoy's past." he said.

"That's just fine!" Draco suddenly shouted. "I will be gone in the morning."

"No you won't!" Hermione said. "I couldn't bear it if something happened…" she said through shining eyes. Harry nodded.

"Me too mate. I told you that you are welcome here. It is my house. I will talk to Ron." he said walking out the door and shutting it behind him.

Downstairs Ron was sulking due to Hermione's scolding.

"Listen Ron, we are best mates and all but you have to lay off of Malfoy. He could lead us to some very valuable information at his father's house tomorrow."

"He is just bluffing Harry? I can't believe either one of you can't see through this scam."

"He's not bluffing. I put veritaserum in his juice this evening. He is telling the truth." Ron's blue eyes widened at this.

"True?" he asked. Harry nodded.

"We need him Ron. I haven't forgiven him for all he did, but if he helps us find the remaining Horcruxes I will be forever indebted. So you need to be more welcoming and try to trust him."

"Fine, but I don't have to like it." Ron said folding his arms across his chest.

"But you will apologize to him right now. Go." Harry said in a serious voice.

"Fine." Ron said flatly making his way to the steps.

Upstairs Hermione had left the room and went into the bathroom. She had nearly kissed Malfoy.

'What in the hell was I thinking?' she asked herself. She splashed cold water on her face and straightened herself in the mirror. Then she took a deep breath before attempting to return to her room. Luckily for her when she got there she was met by Harry who was waiting outside the door for Ron.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked.

"Ron is apologizing. Just making sure he does it." Harry grinned. Hermione rolled her eyes at him and giving a giggle.

"Bet he loved that." she said. Ron came out the door a moment later.

"Happy Harry?" he asked. "I just said I was sorry to the little ferret."

"Well now that you mention it I am happy. I have a good feeling about our trip tomorrow. Everyone try to get some rest. Ron you are bunking with me." Harry replied.

"Where is Hermione going to sleep?" Ron asked already knowing the answer.

"Well Ronald I suppose in my room if that is okay with you."

"It's bloody not okay with me! He is in there!"

"I slept in there last night. It is fine. I need to keep an eye on his wounds anyway." she said entering the room and shutting the door behind her. Just inside she heard Ron stomp off down the hall.

Smirking she turned around to see Draco sitting quietly on the bed. His eyes were glazed over like he had been crying recently.

"You alright?" she asked sitting next to him.

"Fine. Just tired I guess. The past few days have been…hard." he admitted.

"Need anything before we turn in?" she asked.

"No." Draco replied scooting under the covers. Hermione reached over and pulled the sheets up to his neck. He looked so sad to Hermione. She gently brushed some loose hair off of his forehead before grabbing her night clothes and heading out the door to the bathroom. Her heart was beating unusually fast as she changed.

'What I am feeling for him is merely pity. Nothing more.' she thought. She pulled the long cotton nightgown over her head. It was white and adorned with tiny daisies. It was by no means sexy, but she felt good when she wore it. She tiptoed back down the hall and into her room. The door was slightly ajar and when she entered Draco was not in his bed but standing by the window looking out at the full moon.

"Do you want me to sleep in Harry and Ron's room? You look like you want to be alone." she said softly.

"Oh, no. Sorry. I just like looking out at the night sky." he replied. "My mum used to take me outside and teach me the stars and such. I guess it is just habit to stare."

"I didn't mean to interrupt you." she said sheepishly.

"No, its fine. I was just about to go to sleep." he said climbing back into bed. Hermione slipped into hers.

"Are you worried about tomorrow?" he asked her.

"No, are you?" she replied.

"I don't know. I hate that house. It used to give me nightmares as a child."

"I hope that we find something there. The three of us have been all over the world seeking information." she said staring at Draco, moonlight bathing her body in pale iridescence.

"I hope you do too." he said and that surprised her.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yes." he said.

"Well, I am glad to have you on our side." she answered standing to walk towards his bed. She sat on the edge and looked at him, her body quivering, and her heart pounding.

"Do you mean that?" he asked.

"Yes." she replied her hand grazing his in a reassuring way. He smiled at her.

"Goodnight Granger."

"Goodnight Draco." she said smiling as she made her way back to her bed.

* * *

The next morning the four of them woke up early and ate a hasty breakfast. Hermione found Draco some suitable clothing and Harry let him use Sirius' old wand that he had inherited. The plan was to apparate to Malfoy manor in Wiltshire and go through Lucius' papers and books in the Malfoy library. At about 8am they were ready to go. Only Draco really knew the exact location so they all held on to him and apperated quickly to a small grassy hill just before the old decaying manor. It was not nearly as posh as Ron, Harry and Hermione had believed it would be. They snuck up silently and in through the rear door that only the house-elves used. The house was dusty and nearly dead silent. The only sounds were the creaking of the floorboards as they tried to tiptoe through the empty kitchen.

"This way." Draco whispered motioning for them to follow him up the narrow servant's steps. Draco led them, wand lit in front of him through what seemed like an endless corridor of spider webs and dust. They finally reached a small oak door that they followed him into a massive library. Hermione's eyes widened at the expanse of books and scrolls that lay about the large oak tables and bookcases.

"This is going to take forever!" Ron said exasperated.

"Just start looking!" Harry told him. "Hermione you take that shelf, Ron you take the one to the left. Malfoy you take where you think would do the most good. I will look over these scrolls." Harry commanded.

"Right." Hermione said taking a right and heading towards a large bookshelf covered with many dusty old volumes of strange books.

"A beginner's guide to evil, What it takes to follow a dark wizard, Evil creations, and Quick cooking soups and stews?" Hermione laughed at the last title as she grabbed them off of the shelf.

"What's up 'Mione?" Harry asked. She held up the soup book and giggled. Harry laughed.

"How evil." Harry joked causing Malfoy to look up from his pile of books. Hermione held it up for him and he blushed a deep red.

"Mum liked soup." he said guiltily.

She put the soup book down and flipped through the other three titles.

"Nothing much here." she called to Harry.

"Alright, try some more." he said.

She picked up some more dusty tomes and flipped through them carefully, looking for any signs, any traces of magic. Two hours later she had not found anything useful.

"Harry, nothing on this shelf, I'm moving on." she said walking to the next shelf and perusing through the books.

"'Mione, I think I have something!" Ron called. Hermione threw down her books and ran to where Ron was standing. Draco and Harry followed.

"What is it Ron?"

"This…it has plans on this paper for a secret passage under the kitchen. It looks big enough to hide the mirror of Erised. Should we check it out?" Ron asked.

"Let's go." Harry said determinedly. They left the library by the main entrance and made their way quietly to the kitchen. Harry and Ron pulled out the icebox and behind there was an old wooden door with no handle.

"Here!" Ron called to Draco and Hermione.

"Open it!" Hermione said excitedly.

Harry and Ron pulled and pulled but the door would not budge.

"Men." said Hermione. "Alohamora!" she cried. They heard a tiny click on the other side of the door and it swung open slightly. Hermione just rolled her eyes at the stunned men standing around her.

"Thanks 'Mione." Harry said sheepishly.

"Lumos." Ron said and the other three followed. It looked as if the corridor had not been used in years. Huge silvery cobwebs hung from every surface and Hermione gagged from the up rise of dust that the four of them were kicking up. It seemed to twist and turn for miles before they entered into a huge room that was only lit by one small hole in the ceiling.

"Incendio!" Hermione shouted pointing her wand at several unlit torches that hung on the wall. The room immediately brightened so that they could see.

The room was large and empty. Several stone benches line the walls and one large throne like chair sat in the middle.

"This must be where the death eaters meet." Harry said quietly. They looked around for signs of scrolls or parchment but none were to be found. Just then they heard voices coming down the hall.

"Hide!" Harry whispered.

"Where?" Hermione asked. The room had no available hiding places. Harry whipped a silvery cloak out of his sweatshirt pocket.

"Over here everyone. Crouch down as tight as you can!" They all ran over to where Harry was standing in the corner of the room and crouched down quickly. Harry spread the cloak over the four of them and they watched the door in hushed silence. Hermione hid her head in the nape of Draco's neck not wanting to see what was going to happen just yet. The cloak barely covered all of them.

"Why was this door open Wormtail?" an oily voice hissed.

"I know I closed it Severus. Maybe the house-elves?" he offered.

"No, they would not come in here without an order. The torches are all lit." he said.

"I don't know then. Why are you always trying to put the blame on me? I have always been his most loyal servant. I would never betray him." Wormtail said in a squeaky voice

"So you say you vermin. But when it comes time to die for him will you?" Snape asked.

"I would." Wormtail said proudly but not really sure of himself.

"Look around and see if you find anyone." Snape ordered.

"It is a round empty room with no doors or windows. Where would someone hide?" he sneered.

"Right. They must have gone. No doubt an order member. Search the rest of the house." Snape shouted. "We must make sure no one is here before we move the dark lord's greatest treasure into this room. The only useful thing Lucius has been able to provide us with since his imprisonment."

Draco winced at the sound of his father's name.

"Well what are you waiting for Wormtail? Clear the house!" Wormtail scuttled out of the room like a rat and Snape followed swishing his cape. They heard the door close and lock behind the pair. The four of them were still silent, breathing heavily. Slowly Harry stood up and took the cloak off.

"I think its clear." he whispered. The other three stood up. Hermione was shaking and Draco grabbed her hand to help her stand up.

"That was close mate." Ron said. Harry nodded.

"Snape mentioned something about bringing Voldemort's greatest treasure in here. Do you think it's the mirror?"

"Or another Horcrux." Hermione added. "But the mirror is most logical. He could hide the cup somewhere smaller. And the snake stays with him."

"Where to now?" Draco asked.

"I think we should wait for them to leave." Ron said.

"How will we know when that is?" Hermione asked. Ron shrugged his shoulders.

"We will wait for a few minutes." Harry said sitting on one of the benches. The other three followed suit. Fifteen minutes later they headed out towards the hallway. When they reached the exit Hermione realized that they had closed the door and possibly pushed the ice box back in front of the exit. Harry tugged at the door but it wouldn't budge.

"Alohamora!" Hermione whispered and the tiny lock popped open. "You would think the Lord of Darkness would employ a better security system than that." she giggled. Ron pulled open the door only to find the ice box was indeed blocking their way.

"Now what?" he asked.

"You would think that you never attended a single class at Hogwarts." she sighed. "Relashio!" Hermione said pointing her wand at the back of the ice box. It slid across the kitchen floor giving them a clear path to the back door exit.

"Well, well, well." a voice called. "Three order members and a traitor. What luck for us Wormtail."

The four of them spun around to find Snape, Wormtail and three other death eaters.

"Shit." Draco said.


	7. The Trap

**Disclaimer; I own nothing!**

**A/N Hello, thanks to everyone who is reviewing! I really appreciate it. I love writing this story, and I hope you enjoy reading it. Happy reading everyone and don't forget to review!

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The Trap

The four of the gripped their wands tightly and turned to face the five death eaters head on.

"I have waited for this for a year!" Harry shouted pointing his wand at Snape. Snape merely laughed.

"Potter, I should have known it was you. Sneaking, meddling Potter." he sneered.

"Shut up. You are all going to Azkaban." Hermione said calmly. "Don't make this harder on yourselves." she said with confidence.

"Harder on us?" Wormtail laughed. "You are children. You have nothing compared to the Dark Lord."

Draco had his wand focused on Snape. It was Snape who had informed the Death Eaters of where his mother was waiting. If not for his mother he would be dead as well. Snape looked into Draco's determined silver eyes and taunted him.

"Is little Draco missing his mummy? Been on the run, hiding like common trash?" Draco straightened his stance and stood his ground. Hermione stood next to him, her one arm around his back, holding him in a reassuring way.

"And now you have the little mudblood to protect you. How sweet."

Draco could not hold back any longer.

"Stupefy!" he cried but Snape blocked it easily. Hermione leaned into him and whispered.

"Non-verbal. Do you know how?" she asked. He shook his head no.

"Just let us handle it and back us up okay?" He nodded.

"That was weak Draco." Snape mocked. "I thought your father would have taught you better than that."

"My scum of a father didn't teach me anything. And neither did you." he spat.

"Such disrespect. I shall have to teach you how to show your master's servants some reverence." Snape raised his wand and pointed it towards the group. Unfortunately for him the other three had silently stupefied the other three death eaters that stood behind Snape and Wormtail. Ron suppressed a giggle at the three large men fell like stones onto the floor. Snape turned to look at the men that were now slumped silently on the floor. The four of them kept their wands at the ready pointed towards Snape and Wormtail. Wormtail cowered behind Snape who then pushed him onto the floor.

"Useless trash." Snape muttered. Hermione pointed her wand in between Ron and Harry and attempted to silently stun Snape. He sensed her movement and whipped his wand at her, shooting a jet of light and causing her to slide to the floor. Draco knelt down and checked her while Ron and Harry started firing curses at Snape and Wormtail.

"I have a plan." Harry whispered to the others, "Only stupefy them." Ron and Draco nodded. Soon jets of light were flying all around the tiny kitchen. One of them hit Wormtail and he fell to the floor with a thud. Snape looked down and was hit with a similar shot.

"Good one Ron!" Harry said.

"Wasn't me." Ron admitted. The two of them turned to find Draco standing straight and tall, wand pointed at Snape. He had not uttered a single word.

"I thought you didn't know non-verbal." Harry said.

"I didn't. I just was angry and it kind of happened." he stated trying to catch his breath.

"Good job mate." Ron said impressed. Draco smiled for the first time at Ron.

"Enervate!" Harry whispered to Hermione brining her out of her stupefied state.

"Thanks." she croaked in a raspy voice.

"Why did you just want us to stun them?" Draco asked.

"Because, we are not going to capture them." he said.

"WHAT?" yelled Draco. "Are you mad?"

"No, listen. We are going to fix all the damage and erased their memories of this event. That way the object Voldemort is planning to hide here will arrive without suspicion. If we take them in we will never find it." he told them.

"Good idea Harry." Hermione said standing up and brushing off her clothes. "Let's get to it."

An hour later the kitchen looked undamaged and the five death eaters would be waking up soon minus their recent memories.

"The last thing they will remember," Hermione started "is walking in the house."

"Right." said Harry. "Let's go." They walked out the back door and apperated back to Harry's house. Just inside the door Hedwig was waiting with a letter from the order.

_Harry,_

_  
I hope you were not planning on going to the manor alone. Let us know so that we can accompany you. I know you feel that it is all your burden to bear but remember that we are here to help you._

_Remus._

Harry scribbled a quick note back explaining what had happened and told Remus to come to number 12 for further explanation just in case the note was intercepted. Harry then tossed his cloak onto the couch and made his way into the kitchen. Ron followed. Draco helped Hermione over to the couch where she plopped down.

"That was something." he said.

"Yeah."

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"I guess. Sore from being stunned but okay." she managed a weak smile.

"Let me help you upstairs." he said.

"I'm okay. You are the one that is still hurt." she said.

"This?" he asked pointing at his stomach. "This is nothing. Come on." he said holding out his hand for her. She accepted and he helped her up the stairs to her room. When inside she sat on the bed and looked at him. As if seeing him for the first time.

"You should rest." he said softly.

"Yes." she replied. Her heart was beating out of her chest. Something had changed. Something in him was softer. Her eyes filled with tears not knowing why. He took his finger and wiped a tear from the corner of her large brown eyes.

"Ohh…" her breath escaped her lips in a sigh. A sigh that was suddenly captured by his mouth as he drew her into his arms and kissed her. She fell into his nearness, his strength, the touch and taste of him. He pulled back and looked into her eyes. He had not felt this close to anyone in his young life. He felt as if she understood him, knew where he came from and what he had been through. He felt as if he could tell her anything. She placed her head on his shoulder and sat there for a moment as confused as she could ever remember being. This was Draco Malfoy, and yet it wasn't. He was not the prat he portrayed himself as in school, but a lonely boy who had never known love. She thought of the danger the four of them had been in earlier and how close death could have come.

"I'm sorry." he said in her ear. "I shouldn't have."

"No, I'm glad you did. I feel much better now. We should get some rest." she said lifting her head off of his shoulder.

"Right." he mumbled shyly standing up slowly and walking towards his bed.

"Goodnight Draco." she said.

"Goodnight." he replied blowing out the candle by his bedside and closing his eyes.

The next morning the four of them were awakened by a loud ringing of the front doorbell. Harry slowly made his way down the rickety steps and answered the door only to be met by a very angry looking Remus Lupin.

"Harry what is the meaning of this?" he asked holding up Harry's note from the night before.

"Oh gods." Harry moaned flopping on the sitting room sofa. "Why do you find it necessary to second guess my every move?"

"Harry I am trying to protect you." Remus said comfortingly.

"I know, but I am not a child. I am eighteen years old." Harry told him.

"But if you die doing something stupid who will finish off the Horcruxes and kill Voldemort?" Remus asked. Harry thought for a moment and shrugged his shoulders.

"Now what did you find out?" Remus asked.

"Well Snape and Wormtail are hiding something in Malfoy Manor. We think it is the mirror of Erised. Anyway we stunned them and erased their memory that we were there. In a few days we are going to go back and check." Harry told him.

"Just you and Ron went?" Remus asked.

"No, Hermione and Malfoy went as well."

"Malfoy? Draco Malfoy?" Lupin asked shocked.

"Yeah, Hermione found him injured while she was on assignment. Don't look at me like that Remus." Harry said in reference to the shocked and annoyed look his father's friend was now giving him.

"I have already questioned him with veritaserum. He is telling the truth. Death eaters killed his mum in front of him and Snape helped. He was the one who stunned Snape. He gave us access to Malfoy Manor and information that lead us to the hidden room."

"Impressive." Remus said. "Can I talk to him?"

"Look, Hermione told me what happened to him. She wasn't supposed to tell me anything but she did. He thinks the Order already knew so I don't think it would be such a good idea to ask him lots of questions. Come have some breakfast and see what happens okay?" Harry said.

"Can't resist a home cooked meal." Remus said standing up to go into the dining area.

"I'll fix breakfast." Harry said.

Ron, Hermione and Draco made their way down the steps rubbing their eyes sleepily.

"Hey Professor." Ron said. Draco just stared at Remus who had several fresh gashes on his face from the last full moon.

"Stop calling me Professor Ron. I haven't been your professor for five years. Please call me Remus like Hermione and Harry do. Good morning Mr. Malfoy." he said in an all too cheery voice.

"Morning." Draco said reluctantly.

"It's been a while since I have seen you. How have you been?"

"Fine." Draco mumbled.

"Good, good." Remus said as Harry approached with a tray of assorted breakfast foods.

As it was Draco had not slept well the previous night. He had visions of Hermione falling to the ground at his feet and not being able to revive her. He had gotten out of bed several times and walked to her bed to make sure she was still there and breathing. Draco piled some eggs and sausages on his plate and sat quietly listening to Harry and Remus plan the next trip to Malfoy manor.

"Draco, may I call you Draco?" Remus asked. Draco nodded.

"Alright, Draco when do you say the Death Eaters normally meet at your former residence?"

"Not on any regular basis. Just at night. I was shocked that Snape and Wormtail were there during the day." Draco said.

"Maybe they had an inkling that the order knew their meeting times and switched to daytime. I think we should set some members to watch the comings and goings of the manor before we return." Remus said.

"We?" Harry asked an eyebrow raised.

"Yes Harry, we. Tonks, and myself at least will be accompanying the four of you. She will be here in a few anyway."

"Good!" Hermione shouted. "It will be nice to have another girl in the house. Living with boys can get on your nerves." she said smiling at Ron and Harry who knew she was joking.

"She might bring Ginny with her as well. She has wanted to see Harry." Ron scowled. "And her favorite brother." he added quickly.

"Well, we will need more beds." Harry said. "We can make the sitting room into a bedroom for Ginny and Tonks, Remus you can bunk with us."

Draco had been inadvertently staring at Hermione all morning. He remembered kissing her last night, consoling her. It felt good to have someone to trust. She looked up at him and her eyes locked with his. She smiled faintly before clearing the breakfast dishes. Draco stood to help.

"Go sit, you need your rest." she insisted.

"No, I'm fine. How are you feeling?" he asked with some concern.

"Fine." she said smiling.

He watched her scrape the dishes into the rubbish bin and then with a wave of her wand they were clean. His stomach was doing flips inside of his body.

'Am I this desperate for companionships that I would consider a mudblood?' he thought before pushing that thought and those words out of his mind. She was a kind, goodhearted person. Something that was hard to come by in his old circle of friends.

"What's the matter?" she asked breaking his concentration. Her hands were on her hips and her chocolate brown eyes were looking at him oddly.

"Nothing." he replied in a hoarse voice. He cleared his throat and looked away, his face was burning. It had been so long since he had felt someone's soft caress. Last night her lips on his had been the most wonderful feeling he had felt in years.

"Do you feel alright? You look fevered." she said walking over to where he was standing. His throat tightened.

"I feel fine." he said. She reached up and touched his forehead with her hand.

"You feel warm; you had better go upstairs and lie down. I will be up to check your wound in a minute.' she smiled and he walked up the stairs to the room they shared.

He sat on the edge of the bed and put his head in his hands.

'What in the name of Merlin is the matter with me?' he thought. Soon after he heard footsteps nearing his room. Hermione walked in carrying a bowl of water and a washcloth.

"Lie down." she commanded. His stomach did a flip.

She lifted his shirt and peeled back the bandage before dipping the washcloth into the water and wringing it out. He closed his eyes and felt the coolness touch his stomach.

Hermione washed and re-dressed his injury quickly. She had dreamt of his gentle kiss the previous night and was trying her best to avoid any intimate contact. Something she was failing miserably at. As he was pulling his shirt back down his eyes connected with hers again.

"Thanks." he said.

"Your welcome. You don't seem to be running a fever. I can't explain why your face was so flushed earlier." she replied, brow furrowed in concentration.

"I…uh," he stuttered.

"I will look it up; maybe something in the library will help. A book about infections maybe." she said pondering.

"It's nothing." he said. "Don't waste resources on it. I will be just fine."

"No, it could be serious." she insisted.

"Granger, it's not an infection!" he shouted, face flushing all over again.

"Fine." she said leaving the room slamming the door behind her. He flopped back on the bed mad at his words.


	8. The bathtub incident

**Disclaimer; I own nothing!**

**A/N OK, I want to answer a few comments about why I am not doing a sequel to 'Reunion' or 'Her only escape' or a third part to the 'Enchanted' series. Honestly the answer is is because I don't want the stories to become clique'. There are so many Draco/Hermione fics out there that they end up married and with kids and what have you. I did that in the 'Enchanted' series, and I love it. But I don't want every story to end up like that. I want you guys to read and like it, but not know what is going to happen. And I can almost guarantee that you don't know what is going to happen in this story because I had a brainstorm! I hope you all keep reading and maybe by the time I finish this and 'The Deal' I may have a new story brewing. I love all of my faithful reviewers and all you new ones as well. Happy reading and don't forget to review!

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The Bathtub incident

The rest of the day Draco spent sulking in his room thinking of ways to leave. He had decided it was too risky to stay there. He was having too many thoughts and emotions for his own good. He needed to stay stern, unfeeling. It was the only way to stay safe and alive.

Hermione busied herself with things about the house all day, not wanting to admit that she felt some sort of sick attraction to her wounded guest. She had let her emotions go last night and he had comforted her. And she had let him. Hermione was all too happy when Ginny and Tonks arrived at the house. Ginny ran and hugged her before making her way up to Harry's room where he was napping. Tonks came in the kitchen with bright blue hair and several piercings.

"Hey Hermione, whatcha doing?" she asked.

"Those real?" Hermione asked pointing to her eyebrow piercing.

"Yeah, the order is pissed." she said laughing. Hermione laughed.

"I bet."

"So I hear we have a houseguest." Tonks said in a suggestive way.

"Gods, does the world have to know?" Hermione huffed. "Lot of good it will do to hide him if everyone knows he is here."

"Just the top order members and Ginny know. How is he treating you?" Tonks asked.

"Just fine. He is actually tolerable most of the time." Hermione told her.

"I see." Tonks smiled.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Someone has a crush on her patient." Tonks said in a sing-song way. Hermione scowled.

"Do not!" she yelled.

"Look, I know these things. I'm gonna go check him out." she laughed before running up the steps and locking the door so Hermione couldn't get in.

Draco looked startled as the blue haired girl entered his room.

"Mr. Malfoy." she said. "Nice to finally meet you." His eyes were bulging out of his head as he took in this woman's strange appearance.

"Let me in Tonks!" Hermione could be heard yelling outside of the door. Tonks ignored the yelling and sat in a chair near his bed.

"I'm Tonks." she said. "You must be Draco, can I call you Draco?" she asked. He shrugged, still not speaking.

"The order heard about you stunning Snape. Good job." she told him.

"Yeah." he muttered. He had been in a bad mood since he had snapped at Hermione earlier.

"Glad to have you on our side." Tonks said standing up to leave. "You better get some rest." Draco nodded at her before resting his head on the pillow. As Tonks was leaving Hermione made her way in.

"Sorry bout that." she said shyly. "She ran up here before I could stop her."

"Don't worry about it." he said flatly, not looking up at her. He felt bad for snapping at her but refused to apologize.

"I'm sorry about pestering you earlier too." she said. He looked up surprised. He couldn't think of a single time anyone had said they were sorry to him, especially when it was his fault.

"It wasn't your fault." he finally said. "Don't apologize for something you didn't do."

"Uh…what?" she said. He had caught her off guard.

"I snapped at you, so why are you apologizing?" he asked, finally looking at her.

"I just…uh…well you are my guest and I didn't want you to be upset. Of course I knew it wasn't my fault." she smirked.

"Well…" he said putting his hand behind his head in a casual manner.

"Yeah, I will check on you later." she said walking out the door.

Draco punched his pillow several times in frustration.

'I am losing my bloody mind.' he thought to himself. The sun was just beginning to set making the light blue canvas full of radiant colors. Wispy clouds dotted the sky as he looked out longing to be free. Not to have to hide from Voldemort any more. He sighed heavily before attempting to get up to use the loo. He was no longer in pain but he felt weak. He reached the bathroom and opened the door without knocking. The light was on but he didn't see or hear anyone so he figured it was empty. He walked over to the toilet and began to do his business when he heard soft singing coming from the bathtub. He froze and pulled his shorts up slowly. Turning around he came face to face with Hermione who was in the tub, eyes closed with some kind of black things on her ears. She was singing off key not paying any attention to Draco who was stunned to see her. Immediately his face turned red as he noticed the bubbly water barely covering her breasts.

"Oh gods." he mumbled trying to get out of the bathroom before anyone noticed he had been in there. Not paying attention to what he was doing he tripped over the rubbish bin and fell head first into the soapy water. Hermione opened her eyes at the commotion before screaming bloody murder at the intruder whose head was still underwater. When Draco surfaced she desperately scrambled to cover herself with her arms and an available towel.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" she yelled. He was gasping for air and trying to wipe the sudsy water out of his eyes.

"I tripped." he snapped, embarrassed out of his mind at his current situation.

"GET OUT!" she finally screamed her body turning a pale shade of red.

He turned around and left the bathroom dripping wet making his way down the hall towards his room. Just as he got to the staircase Potter and the weasel were running up as fast as they could.

"We heard Hermione scream, what is going on?" Harry asked.

"I fell and scared her, that's all." Draco said coolly. He decided he didn't owe them any explanation. And with that he turned and went in his room, shutting the door loudly behind him.

Hermione was stunned as she sat there in the tub half covered by a sopping wet towel. Draco freaking Malfoy had just seen her naked as the day she was born. Hermione started to get up when Harry and Ron burst through the door.

"Hermione, we heard you scream are you alright?" Ron asked breathlessly.

"CAN ANYONE TAKE A BATH IN THIS HOUSE WITHOUT INTERUPTION?" she yelled at the two of them. Harry and Ron looked down at the floor quickly realizing their best friend was naked.

"Sorry." they both mumbled. Hermione grabbed her robe off of the hook and put it on.

"I'm dressed now, you can look up." she said.

"We heard you scream. Malfoy said he fell. Are you okay?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, he fell in the tub with me." she said red-faced.

"What?" Harry yelled. "Why was he in here with you?"

"He didn't realize I was in here and I didn't hear him come in, I had my headphones on." she said holding up the dripping wet black headphones.

"Your head whats?" Ron asked.

"Never mind. Anyway what do you two think you are doing? I can take care of myself." she said tapping her foot in an annoyed fashion.

"We were just trying to help." Ron said sheepishly.

"Well thanks but if you will excuse me I am going to get dressed." she said.

Harry and Ron turned around and walked out of the bathroom.

"Gods!" she huffed. She dried off and pulled on her nightgown and dried her hair. She dreaded going into her room with him where she would have to face him.

Meanwhile Draco sat on his bed waiting for the other shoe to drop. Either Potter and the Weasel would come down and beat the tar out of him or worse Hermione would come down and hex him into oblivion. She was after all the smartest witch to come out of Hogwarts. He heard heavy footsteps coming down the hall. It must be the two boys. He sat up on the bed and prepared himself for the worst. The door opened and Hermione stepped in quietly shutting it and locking it behind her. The sun was almost completely set and the room was just faintly visible around him. Hermione's white nightgown glowed in the dim light giving her an eerie appearance. She took her wand and lit the candle next to his bed before sitting next to him.

"Look I'm sorry." he said quietly.

"Shhhh…" she said putting her finger over his lips to silence him. Instinctively he grabbed her finger and kissed it lightly. She looked into his slivery eyes with her caramel ones. He took her whole hand and kissed it gently before taking both of her arms and wrapping them around his neck. Then he lowered his head and kissed her ever so gently. For all of its gentleness the kiss burned through both of them like a flame. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer still. He loved the warmth of her skin on his hands as he made tiny circles with his thumb on the arch of her back. He could feel the heat of the kiss burning hotter and brighter than he had ever felt before. She kissed him back with so much fire and passion that she seemed to melt into his body. Her hands ran through his hair sending chills up his back. He needed her warmth and companionship more than he thought he did. It had been so long since he had felt so safe and secure. He ran his hand up her nightgown, caressing gently. Her skin was soft and warm. He cupped her breast under her nightclothes and he heard her gasp in surprise before she leaned into him seeking his touch. She ran her tongue over his lips before her hands fell down from his neck to his lower back. They went up his t-shirt and engulfed his back with a warmness, a sense of peace and belonging. It felt so good to be in her arms but even more than that it felt right. His hand stroked her hair and slid down her back to draw her closer. She looked at him, her body shaking, her heart pounding. He knew she wanted him, and he wanted her just as badly. He knew it was wrong. It was wrong to kiss her like this. To feel like this. This was Hermione Granger, mudblood and all around know-it-all but his heart refused to think of her in this way any longer. And right or wrong he knew he was where he belonged. Her sweet scent filled his nostrils as she leaned in to kiss his neck. Draco didn't know how far this would go, he didn't know how long he could hold back from taking her right there. Her soft moans and steady breathing invaded his ears as he kissed her long and deep. One strap of her nightgown fell down onto her bare shoulders. He leaned over and kissed her exposed skin. She took a sharp inhale of breath as he did this. A smile played across his face. Knowing he could give her so much pleasure made as happy as he could ever remember being. Before he knew it the candle flickered out leaving the room bathed in moonlight. He kissed her hungrily, his mouth burning a flame within her. Clinging to her he sank down on the bed, arms and legs entwined, his body yearning for her.

He moaned her name, his hands eager roaming over her smooth white skin, learning the curves of her body, fanning the embers of desire into full flame. Over and over his tongue invaded her mouth, wrestling with hers, stealing the very breath out of her body. Her tiny frame laid on top of his and he held her close to his body. Not a hair could fit between them. She kissed down his neck and back up to his ears running her tongue in little circles teasing him. He moaned into her ear wanting to take her right then. She pulled his shirt off over his head and kissed his bare chest. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Just then he heard someone approaching the room. Footsteps, getting closer and closer. He began to panic. What would happen if Potter or Weasley walked in and found them like this? They would thrash him and then possibly throw him back out onto the street. Voldemort would be able to find him again so he would have to run.

"Hermione." he whispered. She looked down at him in surprise. He had not called her Granger.

"Hermione…" he said again desperately trying to get her to respond. Instead she just looked at him as if she were seeing him for the first time.

"Hermione, someone is coming. Hermione…." he whispered again. He heard the doorknob turn. The creaking hinge echoed through the room. Draco began to panic.

"Hermione…" he said again. He closed his eyes not knowing what else to do short of pushing her off of his body. He heard the door open fully and then shut again and he prepared himself for a verbal and physical berating.

"Hermione…what is going on?" he whispered to her. He opened his eyes and looked at the person who just entered the room. It was Hermione. She was standing in front of a small mirror brushing her hair when she heard him call her name. His eyes opened slowly and he looked at her as if she was a ghost.

"Are you alright?" she asked walking towards his bed.

"Oh…uh, yeah. I must have fallen asleep." he said turning red.

"Okay." she said turning away from him.

"I am sorry about walking in on you in the bath." he told her.

"It's okay. I should have locked the door." she replied.

"I should have knocked." he said sheepishly.

"It's fine."

"No it's not. I am so embarrassed."

"Me too." she giggled. But in Draco's mind he was more embarrassed thinking of the dream he had just had about her. His whole body had felt on fire. He had felt a longing he had pushed to the back of his mind. He stared at her taking in her every feature. She was wearing the same nightgown she had been in the dream.

"Look, let's just pretend it never happened okay?" she said. He swallowed hard and nodded.

"Goodnight." she said as she blew out the candles and climbed into bed.

"Goodnight Hermione." he whispered closing his eyes desperately trying to get back to his dream.


	9. The Night Before

Disclaimer; I still own nothing!

A/N Hello, sorry I have not updated 'The Deal' but I am still mulling over the next chapter. I will try my best to post next week. I do have one comment though, I love all my reviwers but if you are going to criticize my writing for this or that at least sign in so I can respond to your comments or leave your email address. I am considering not allowing anon. reviews any longer because of this. In case some of you don't know I am not allowed to respond to individual reviews any longer in Authors notes so I have to use the review response button. If you don't sign in, or leave your email address I can't give you reasons why I wrote what I did. So please take a moment to sign in from now on, because if this continues I will no longer accept anon. reviews. Happy reading and don't forget to review!

Thanks again,

Jennifer

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**The night before**

Draco tossed and turned all night, his mind racing from the dream he had. He very much wanted to return to that dream. To feel her lips on his again would be the sweetest thing in the world in his mind. He had long forgotten how it felt to be loved, and yet he knew it was just a dream. He sat up in bed and looked out the window into the starry sky. The moon was full and round in the sky and the light shone bright on his pale face. Sighing heavily he stood up and stretched as best he could. He could hear Hermione's steady breathing coming from her bed. Draco walked slowly and knelt next to the bed. He ran his hand slowly over her hair, brushing loose curls from her forehead.

"Thank you." he whispered. "Thank you for saving my life." He thought long and hard about the last year of his life. There were so many times where he wanted to give up, let himself be captured, be tortured, and die. Fate had brought him into that little bar in South America. Hermione saving his life had turned everything around. He leaned over her sleeping body and kissed her forehead, letting his pink lips just barely brush over her skin. She stirred slightly, readjusting her body into a new position. He smiled down on her before walking back to his own bed and sitting. He knew he could not sleep. In two days time the four of them plus Lupin and Tonks would be returning to his house to look for that mirror. He hoped beyond hope that it would be there. Once Voldemort was gone he could live a normal life once again. And since his mother's death it was all he had ever wanted. He sat there for hours just staring out the window until the slightest bit of sunlight peaked in the eastern sky.

Hermione's eyes fluttered open an hour later. She saw Draco sitting on his bed looking out the window at the sunrise.

"Morning." she said in a hoarse voice. He turned around to look at her. The morning sun caught her hair streaking it with gold and red streaks.

"Morning." he said back smiling.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked him.

"Not really." he replied.

"Did I snore?" she said shyly.

"No. I just have a lot on my mind." he answered.

"Oh. Want to talk about it?" she asked.

"No." he said blocking her attempt to get into his mind.

"Alright, well I am going to get breakfast ready." she said standing up to stretch. He nodded and returned his gaze back out of the window. Hermione was slightly unnerved by Draco's distant attitude today. It seemed to her that he had been staring unnaturally out the window for a long time. She dressed quickly in the bathroom and headed downstairs into the quiet kitchen. Minutes later as she was trying once again to cook the muggle way Ginny walked into the room and waved her wand. A huge breakfast appeared and Hermione rolled her eyes and scowled.

"I don't know why you bother cooking the other way." Ginny said grinning.

"Just used to it." Hermione admitted.

"So how is it bunking with the incredible bouncing ferret?" Ginny asked holding her stomach as she laughed.

"Shhhh…don't let him hear you say that!" Hermione scolded.

"Why?" Ginny asked in an annoyed fashion.

"Because, he is on our side now. And he saved at least my life at the manor so try and be on your best behavior just like your brother."

"Ron? On his best behavior? Don't make me laugh." she giggled.

"No, he's really trying. Everyone is. I think Drac…I mean Malfoy knows more than he thinks."

"Draco?" Ginny giggled. "Since when do you…never mind. I don't want to know."

"It's not like that!" Hermione protested but Ginny smiled knowingly.

"Okay Hermione." she said aloud. "One thinks the lady doth protest too much." Ginny said in a sing-song voice carrying the breakfast tray into the dining room. Hermione followed with the second tray. Ron, Harry, Lupin and Tonks were waiting for breakfast and chatting about the next trip to the manor.

"Where's Malfoy?" Hermione asked.

"Haven't seen him. You bunk with him, maybe he is still sleeping." Ron said before helping himself to eggs and pancakes.

She set the tray down and jogged back up the stairs to her room. Draco was still sitting on the bed looking out into the morning horizon.  
"Breakfast is ready. Are you going to come down and eat?" she asked.

"I guess." he replied.

"Is something wrong? I know we aren't the best of friends but you can tell me if something I have done is making you act so distant." she said sitting on the bed near but not too near to Draco. He turned to look at her.

"It is nothing you have done." he replied. The incoming sun shone on the back of his head giving his white blond hair a halo effect. It took Hermione's breath away.

"You…uh, um…" she stuttered at a loss for words. He tilted his head slightly to the side, silver eyes blazing towards her.

"Look, I just…I don't know. This has all been more that I expected to have to deal with I guess." he said.

"I don't know what you mean." she replied slightly confused.

"I thought I would be dead before now. And to think in a short amount of time I could be free. If Potter can pull this off…well the world will be my oyster." he grinned. "I am Lucius' only heir. And I will be hunted no more. There is nothing I can't do then."

Hermione reached over and patted his hand.

"It will be wonderful." she smiled thinking of herself going on to being a healer and maybe even having a family. "Come down and have some breakfast." she said grabbing his hand and pulling him off the bed. His foot caught on the rug and he stumbled forward falling towards Hermione and knocking her to the floor. He fell nearly flat on top of her.

"Uh…sorry." he began to mumble as he looked down at her. Her breaths were labored from being knocked down. Her pupils were wide taking in every feature of his face. He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. He closed his eyes as he did, hoping that he would not wake up this time. He felt her chest rise and fall and he reopened his eyes. Hermione's eyes were wide open looking into his. Draco slowly pushed off of her and stood up. Hermione however remained on the floor as if too startled to move. He held out his hand and pulled her up muttering sorry under his breath. She stood up and stared at him.

"Why did you do that?" she asked finally after a moment of silence.

"I don't know!" he near shouted. "I have not been this confused since…just never mind."

"I wasn't yelling!" she said. "I am just as confused as you are!"

"Well what are we going to do then?" he shouted.

"I don't know but why are we yelling?"

"I don't know!' he yelled back before laughing hysterically. Hermione joined in the laughter.

"Let's go have some breakfast." she said taking his hand in hers again and holding it as they walked down the steps. Draco thought she would drop it when they got to the dining room but she did not. No one even looked up from their food and/or paperwork as she led him to a chair and sat him down. The rest of the day and the following day was spent going over papers, plans, theories and tactics until the seven of them were exhausted. The night before the second trip to Malfoy manor they were all ready for bed earlier than usual. Harry and Lupin wanted everyone fully rested for the following day. They bid everyone goodnight at about 7pm. Ginny, Tonks and Ron followed. Just Hermione and Draco remained downstairs. She was cleaning up from dinner and he was helping.

"Thanks." she said as he handed her the last of the dinner plates. She magically cleaned them and then put them back up in the cupboard.

"Well I suppose we should get some rest as well." she said hands on her hips.

"Yeah, but who can sleep?' he replied with a worried look on his face.

"Yeah." she said looking down at the floor quickly. Little moments like this had been happening the past two days. Awkward and embarrassing. She walked up the stairs towards their shared bedroom and he followed. Draco sat on the bed and took off his t-shirt. The room was warm until he opened his window letting a cool summer breeze in. Hermione changed in the bathroom and when she returned the room had cooled down immensely.

"That's better." she smiled as the breeze blew across her face. It was not quite dark yet, the sun was just reaching the horizon. Draco was already sitting on the bed, staring out the window as always.

"Thinking about tomorrow?" she asked sitting down and looking outside with him.

"Yeah." he replied. "I was actually thinking about that mirror." Hermione looked surprised.

"The mirror? Why?"

"Well, you said it shows you things right?"

Hermione nodded.

"Your deepest desire?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Well, do you think Potter would let me look into it before he smashes it or whatever?"

"I guess you could ask. I don't think he would mind."

Draco remained silent as he looked out the window.

"Can I ask why?" she prodded.

"Uh…just something I want to see." he responded.

"Oh." she said, voice trailing off. And just like that he grabbed her pulling her into his arms. Her head rested on his bare shoulder and she inhaled his clean scent. Her heart was doing acrobatics inside of her chest. She wanted to kiss him, to touch him, maybe even more. She lifted her head slightly and looked into his eyes. Those molten pools of steel that could be so warm and tender, or so full of hate. Right now they were full of something else. Desire. He tilted his head slightly and just before his lips touched hers he whispered;

"Hermione, I don't know where I would be without your help." he swallowed before continuing. "Please stay safe tomorrow. If something were to happen…I would never forgive myself." She silently nodded before his lips came crashing down on hers. This time however her hands went instinctively to his hair, running her nimble fingers through his baby fine locks. She pulled his head closer to hers, letting her tongue slip into his waiting mouth. Draco's mind exploded with wants and needs. He drew her into his embrace, into his kiss until there was nothing in the world but his mouth on hers. Draco slowly unbuttoned the front of Hermione's nightgown exposing her creamy white skin. He reached behind her stroking her back, his fingertips savoring the warmth of her skin, coaxing her with a tender urging. Asking her for permission, not demanding. The heat overwhelmed her, driving her into the abyss of want and need that she could not possibly climb out of.

"I have never…" she told him.

"Let me show you." he replied between kisses. He pulled her onto the bed so that he was lying next to her, bodies pressed tightly together. The soft fabric of the night gown caressed his bare chest. He reached down and pulled it over her head leaving only some thin white panties. Her chest rose and fell with her labored breathing. He cupped her breast tenderly relishing in the delight of feeling her rapid heartbeat underneath. He knew she was nervous, but he also knew it was right somehow. His hand trailed down her smooth stomach towards her most sensitive area. He reached inside of her underwear and she gasped as he touched her expertly. His thumb made slow circles on her clit and he kissed her neck and ear, whispering reassurance to her. She kept her hands on the back of his head waiting for what was going to happen. She had heard about it, and though she was nearly 19 she had still never experienced it. Being involved with Harry and Ron searching for clues had ended any romantic ideas in her mind. She had simply concentrated on the search and put everything else off. But now she was in the arms of her former enemy. And now it felt right. Suddenly her body felt light like she was flying high. It was such an intense feeling that her back arched into his hand.

"Ohh…" she cried.

"Are you alright?" he asked breathlessly.

"Better than alright." she smiled.

"I don't want to pressure you…I understand if you want to stop…" he said looking away.

"No. This is what I want." she said easing his body so it was on top of hers. She felt something hard rub against her thigh. Her body tensed up waiting for him. He kissed her lips gently as he pulled off his shorts and her panties. As if not of her own will her legs parted and she felt pressure right before a sharp pain as he entered her. She inhaled deep and tried to relax. His right hand caressed her hair easing her tension.

"Are you alright?' he whispered. Hermione nodded urging him to continue. He began his slow rhythmic motions, going slowly, allowing her to become accustomed to his presence. At that moment there were no thoughts of tomorrow. No thoughts of impending doom. No Horcruxes, no mirror. At that moment there was only now. Only them. Only the rhythm of his body moving deep within hers. Lifting her soul until she was soaring, flying higher and higher. Higher through a storm of ecstasy that left her breathless.

He had never felt so close to another human being in his whole life. Her body seemed a perfect fit to his. Her head in the crook of his neck fit like a puzzle piece. He didn't know how long he could hold on for. It had been years since he had done this. Years since he felt like he could trust someone so explicitly. His hands roamed up and down her quivering body. There were no words that could describe how he felt right then. Then he felt it and could hold on no longer. His thrusts quickened and she cried out his name before he finished. His body was shaking and his hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat, as was hers. She pulled his head to her chest and he heard her rapid heartbeat slowing down. It calmed him. They laid there like that for what seemed like forever.

"That was…" she started.

"Incredible." he finished. She smiled and nodded. "Will you lay here with me tonight?" he asked.

"Yes." she said. "But I had better lock the door." she stood up grabbing the sheet and taking it with her to cover her nakedness. Hermione took her wand and locked the door before lying back down next to him. The sheet draped over both of their naked bodies. She lay in front of him, letting him spoon her and wrap his arms around her. Neither one of them knew what to think of what had happened, but both had a sense of impending doom as they drifted to sleep.


	10. The Mirror of Erised

**Disclaimer; I own nothing!**

**A/N Hello, here is the update for this story a few hours early since fanfic is updating their site tonight. As for updating 'The Deal' I am so sorry to everyone but I just can't get the next chapter right. I have started over and over a few times and it just isn't what I want. (Screams loudly) I am working very hard but I am also stressed due to trying to sell our house and buy a new one. It is the worst experience of my life. Anyway I will try to finish the next chapter of 'The Deal' and post it asap. As for this story...I have to thank Lady Lupin who leant me her idea for the ending of the story (Not the ending of this chapter) it is going to go in a direction you would not think of. So thank you Lady Lupin of Mugglenet! You rock. Don't worry though. The ending is far, far away with lots of things to keep you interested in the meantime. Happy reading and don't forget to review!**

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The mirror of Erised

The next morning Hermione woke early still wrapped in Draco's protective hold. She glanced at his sleeping face and felt a mixture of peace and dread. It was only 7 am and in less than an hour they would be heading back to the manor. Heading back to find the mirror of Erised, gods willing. She shook him gently attempting to wake him. Slowly his eyes fluttered open and when he caught sight of Hermione he smiled.

"Morning." he said.

"Good morning," she replied "how did you sleep?"

"Better than I have in years." he told her.

"Good." she said but she was not smiling.

"What's wrong? Is it about last night because I know we shoul…" he started, but Hermione interrupted.

"No, it's not that. I am just nervous about today. I want everything to go right. But I have such a bad feeling."

"Try not to worry." he said reaching for her hand.

"Not as easy as it sounds." she said feigning a smile. "We had better get ready." she said quickly standing. Draco took one last look out the window onto the misty morn and sighed.

"Let's go." he said.

An hour later the six of them were ready to go. Ginny threw a fit protesting that she should be allowed to go since she had already helped on several occasions. Harry calmed her saying he needed someone reliable to stay behind in case other order members stopped by or they had to send a message for help. Grudgingly she agreed. They gathered in the sitting room before leaving.

"I hope everyone realizes what danger may lie ahead." Lupin stated with a grim face. The five others nodded. "Harry is taking huge risks for all of us and he is in charge of this mission." Harry looked up slightly surprised. Lupin had never put him fully in charge before. He motioned for Harry to stand up.

"Thanks Remus. I appreciate every one of you today. Malfoy, I never thought I would be thanking you, but thanks to your information we have a chance." he extended his hand towards Draco who accepted it. "Now let's go over the plan." he said.

Shortly after the six of them apperated to Malfoy Manor. The sunrise was just peaking over the aging roof. Draco took them through the back entrance and finally into the kitchen. The icebox was there, as if it had never been moved.

"Maybe they haven't brought it back." Ron whispered.

"They did." Hermione stated.

Remus, Ron, Harry and Draco moved the icebox out and to the side Hermione unlocked the door. They walked along the corridor and through the cobwebs until they finally entered the round room. Remus lit the torches on the wall and they all adjusted their eyes to the flickering light. Harry looked around the room. Nothing had changed. No mirror, no cup, nothing.

"What the…?" Ron said.

"I thought it would be here!" Harry said disappointed.

"Fuck." Draco swore aloud.

"Men." Hermione and Tonks said nearly in unison. Tonks had changed her hair to long brown curls today. Hermione and she looked nearly alike from behind. Right in the center of the stone benches Hermione felt around and pulled a silvery piece of fabric off of a large object. There in the middle of the room stood the largest mirror most of them had seen.

"HERMIONE YOU ARE BRILLIANT!" Harry yelled running towards her. He wrapped his arms around her and spun her around.

"Let's get to it." Lupin said firmly.

"Wait." Draco said. "Hermione explained what this mirror does, can we all have one minute to look into it before you destroy it?"

"Malfoy, trust me no good can come of you looking into this mirror. It will drive you mad because mostly it shows some unattainable fantasy about your life. I think it's best that I just get rid of it." he said holding his wand aloft.

"No, wait Harry," Hermione said "I think it's a good idea."

"You don't know Hermione. You have never looked into it!" he said.

"No I haven't, but I have read up on it and I don't think it will hurt anyone. A little bit of happiness could be just the thing to revive everyone." Harry shrugged his shoulders and nodded.

"You have to look in by yourself." he told them. "So everyone stand here, Remus, would you like to start?" Remus nodded silently and stood in front of the tall mirror. He blinked three or four times before his grey eyes widened. He saw himself standing there, no scars looking perfectly normal next to Tonks. She was holding his hand and on her other hand was a small girl with pink hair and his eyes. A single tear fell down his face before he wiped it away and stepped away from the glass.

"What's wrong?' Tonks asked patting him on the shoulder. "Was it something awful?" Remus shook his head no.

"It was something wonderful." he said softly before sitting down on one of the stone benches.

"Tonks, want to go next?"

"Sure Harry." she said walking to the left and standing in front of the mirror. Oddly enough she saw nearly the same thing as Remus, only he still had the scars of his "furry little problem". She smiled and sat next to him holding his hand in a reassuring way.

"Ron? Do you want a go?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, why not." he said walking towards the mirror and looking into its smoky glass. He saw himself with a girl. And not one he recognized. She was holding his hand and they had rings on their fingers. The girl had long blonde hair and stunning blue eyes.

"I don't know what this means mate. I don't know this girl I am with."

"She is your soul mate." Hermione piped up. "I read about it."

"'Mione, your turn." Harry said.

"Alright." she walked towards the mirror and was shocked when she closed her eyes and looked in again properly. She was not dressed as a healer as she had thought. Her hair was pulled back and she had two small children with her. Both had white blonde hair and steely grey eyes. She looked back again and Draco was standing with her holding a small baby. He smiled brightly from the mirrored glass. She stepped back and stood there with her mouth gaping open. That was definitely not what she expected.

"Let me have another look." she said. "That couldn't have been what I really wanted, could it Harry?" she asked waiting to be reassured.

"No Hermione. I told you." he said slightly annoyed.

"Malfoy, you still want a turn?" Harry asked.

"Yes, I want to see my mum one last time." he said straightening up and walking towards the mirror.

"Don't count on it." Harry said. "What you want to see isn't always what you do." He warned.

Draco stepped carefully in front of the mirror thinking of his mother the whole time. And when he opened his eyes his mother was standing there, fixing a tie on his tuxedo. She smiled and kissed him on the cheek before reaching out her hand and bringing a girl in a wedding dress into the mirror. Her face was covered by a thick white lace veil. In the mirror Draco lifted the veil to reveal Hermione. She looked radiant and perfect. Narcissa kissed Hermione on both cheeks and smiled as Draco took her hand.

"Well?" Harry asked. "Did you see what you wanted?"

"I think so." he said stepping away and sitting next to a still unnerved Hermione.

"You having a turn Harry?" Ron asked.

"No, I have seen it already. I just want to get it over with." he said holding his wand out.

"WAIT HARRY!" Hermione shouted. Harry stopped in mid swish and looked at his panicked friend.

"What is it Hermione?" he asked slightly annoyed.

"I think you should look into the mirror." she said breathlessly.

"No I have looked into it already many years ago, I know what it shows. I don't want to relive that."

"No Harry, what is it you want most in this world right now?" she asked. "What is your deepest desire?"

"To destroy Voldemort."

"Then look in the mirror and that's what you will see." she said patting his shoulder.

It was as if a light bulb went off inside Harry's head. He looked from Hermione to the mirror and then back to Hermione.

"Oh my gods Hermione. Why didn't I think of this before?" Harry said walking to stand in front of the mirror. He looked up and saw his reflection in the mirror. He was standing in a broken down house, debris and broken furniture everywhere. His mirror image bent down and reached beneath the mess and picked up a goblet featuring a badger. His mirror image smiled before pointing up the hill to a small cabin near a dark forest. Harry cocked his head to get a better look before his mirror twin smiled knowingly.

"I've got it!" Harry shouted. "Hermione you are brilliant!"

Hermione blushed deeply and Harry turned his attention back to the mirror. With a swish and a flash of light the mirror burst into a million pieces. The bright flash reflected in Harry's eyes and it gave him a feeling of satisfaction.

"They will know we have been here." Remus said gravely. "It's just a matter of when."

"I know." Harry said firmly. "I want them to know. I want them to know that I will be coming for him. I want them to fear me." His voice was strong and full of venom. It shook Hermione up slightly.

"Let's get out of here." Draco said heading down the hallway. The rest of them vanquished the torches as they walked, leaving the stone room as dark and cold as they arrived. This time however there were no death eaters waiting for them, only an old wooden door with no handle and an icebox waiting to be pushed back into place. Hermione erased the marks it made as it slid across the floor and they quietly crept out of the servant's entrance.

Within minutes they had apperated home. Ginny ran to greet Harry at the door and hugged and kissed him until he fell over onto the sofa.

"I was so worried. I am not staying behind next time." she said fiercely. "I mean it!" Harry was so overcome he nodded in agreement.

Ron, Remus and Tonks were smiling from ear to ear.

"So it went well?" Ginny asked.

"It went brilliantly." Harry answered. "Not only did we destroy the mirror, but Hermione's genius mind thought to have me look into it before hand. I have a pretty good idea where the cup is and where Voldemort is hiding." Hermione blushed deeply again. It was only noon but they were all fairly tired. Harry suggested they rest before beginning the next quest and dinner.

Everyone agreed but Hermione was nervous about returning to the room. Draco would be there and there had been several awkward moments between them all day. Since the moment she woke up that day the scene had played over and over in her mind. She was so scared about the visit back to the manor, and she knew he was just as afraid, though he would never admit it to anyone else. His touch had felt so gentle, and it had comforted her. But she knew it had gone too far. As she reached the top of the steps she heard him behind her. She picked up her steps and entered the room just before he did. She sat on the bed and took off her shoes. Draco entered the room quietly not looking towards Hermione. She was doing her best not to look at him as well. Five minutes had passed before either of them spoke.

"Are you hungry?" she asked in a soft, low voice.

He shook his head no and pulled the curtains shut so the room was shielded from the glaring sunlight. She laid back on the bed and closed her eyes.

'Is this how it's supposed to be?' she thought. 'Is this how guys act afterwards?'

So many things ran through her mind that it made her head throb. Draco sat on his bed and watched her out of the corner of his eye. Clearly she was confused about what had happened between them. He felt slightly bad since it had been her first time, and he had felt hurried. As if he couldn't finish quick enough before their impending deaths. It was not how he usually conducted himself. And then there was the whole mirror thing he had to deal with. His mum had been there, but not like he had expected. And he was marrying Hermione. Was that really his deepest desire? These thoughts persisted until his tired mind gave up and he fell asleep to the gently rhythm of Hermione's breathing.


	11. Dinner at Number 12

**Disclaimer; I own nothing!**

**A/N Hello everyone! I hope you all liked the update to 'The Deal'. It was not my favorite chapter but it needed to be written to get to what is coming next. Now this chapter for 'Saving Draco Malfoy' is one of my favorites. I really love the way this story is going, I have been frantically writing getting these ideas down on paper (or computer screen) Every time I think it will only be one chapter, it turns into two. (Now I know where JK is coming from) Well I hope you like it as much as I do. Happy reading and don't forget to review!

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Dinner at Number 12

Later in the afternoon everyone at number 12 Grimmauld place was waking up at different times. The deep satisfaction of another Horcrux destroyed gave everyone enough peace of mind to rest for the first time. Ginny cuddled next to Harry in his room, her head lying peacefully on his shoulder. Tonks and Remus were curled up by the fire in the sitting room holding hands in a sweet fashion. Draco and Hermione were sound asleep in her room, though in different beds. She had fallen asleep before she had the chance to talk to him about their actions the previous night. But in her dreams the night replayed over and over making her yearn for his touch when she woke up. To her dismay he was still asleep and she refused to wake him. She stood up and stretched before heading down to the kitchen and fixing some stew for everyone when they woke up. Unlike other times she used magic and it was done quickly. The smell of the food soon had everyone clamoring about the kitchen getting bowls and spoons. Ginny made some crusty bread and Harry carried the pumpkin juice and the oak matured mead from the cellar. Soon everyone was seated around the table except Draco and Ron.

"I'll see what's keeping them." Hermione said wearily before heading back up the steps. She heard a commotion near the bathroom and stopped to listen in.

"I heard you Malfoy! You were calling for Hermione in your sleep! Now what is going on?" Ron yelled.

"It was nothing, I was dreaming she was in trouble and was calling out for her. You don't need to butt your large nose in my business!"

"No, you were _moaning_, not calling." Ron said through tight lips and a red face.

"Just move out of my way weasel, I promised her I would be civil to you and I am good on my word."

"You just watch yourself Malfoy. You may have helped Harry, but that doesn't mean we are okay with you hurting Hermione. Your reputation precedes you."

"RONALD WEASLEY!" Hermione shouted causing both boys to jump a little. "HOW DARE YOU ASSUME ANYTHING!"

"I didn't…I mean I'm not…you know I was just…"

"I heard what you were 'just' doing. You listen to me right now. My personal life is none of your business. It hasn't been for over a year. Now Draco here has been a huge help to the order, and he deserves to be treated with respect. It's none of your business what he dreams about or who for that matter. Now go downstairs and eat dinner with everyone and I won't mention your poor behavior to Harry." Her voice was stern and Ron knew she meant what she said.

"Fine." he said stomping down the steps.

"Thanks for attempting to be civilized with him. I just don't know why he flies off the deep end sometimes."

"No problem." he said.

"Dinner is ready by the way." She said avoiding his eyes.

"Thanks. I will be down in a minute." he replied, trying just as hard to avoid hers. He had dreamt about her and must have been vocalizing the dream. She started to walk in the other direction towards the stairs when he called out.

"Hey, about the other night…"

She turned to face him, tears welling up. She didn't want to cry but she had an awful feeling that he was about to brush her off.

"Yes." she replied.

"It was the best night of my life." he said only slightly blushing. "Thank you."

He walked quickly towards her and hugged her tightly. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged back before skipping down the steps. He followed a minute later and sat at the table having a deep sense of belonging with the rest of the group. The rest of them were in high spirits and were chatting animatedly. Draco looked around the table and smiled. Never had he felt so right, so at peace with the world. He was finally where he was supposed to be all along.

"Do you want more peas?" Tonks asked.

"What?" Draco asked finally coming out of his daydream.

"I asked you if you wanted more peas." Tonks asked again looking at Draco in a peculiar way.

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking." he said voice trailing off at the end.

"About what?" Hermione asked piping up.

"A lot of things. Mostly…never mind." he said blushing slightly.

"Come on mate," Harry started "you can tell us."

"Yes, we're all friends here." Hermione said glaring at Ron in a slightly threatening manner. Ron went red before nodding slightly at Draco confirming what Hermione was saying.

"I was just thinking that…well, how different things could have been for me if I was put in Gryffindor." he said in a low hushed voice.

"But the sorting hat is never wrong." Ron said in between mouthfuls. The rest of the table gave him a harsh look. Hermione reached across and poked him in the arm causing him to almost choke.

"That will teach you to shovel food in your mouth like a pig." she said before turning to Draco.

"I don't think things would have turned out any better Draco." she said patting his hand. The rest of the table looked over at Hermione like she had just used Voldemort's name aloud.

"What?" she asked looking around. "Never mind doesn't matter. Anyway, I think the sorting hat put you where you belonged back then. Now, you belong here." She smiled in her reassuring way and it made him feel like he owned the world. His appetite improved immensely and he helped himself to more food and joined the conversation about the next trip.

By the time evening rolled around they all had gathered in the sitting room in front of the fire talking. Again Harry and Ginny were sitting together cuddling as were Remus and Tonks. Draco looked at Hermione and longed to hold her. It would have been the icing on the cake. Hermione glanced over at Draco and caught his eye. The corner of his lip turned up into a slight smile. She looked away and swallowed hard. She wanted to be near him, but the others…what would they think? And would he even want her to sit by him? She took a deep breath and scooted across the carpet till she was sitting near him leaning her back on the couch. She tilted her head till it rested on his shoulder. To her surprise he reached over and grabbed her hand. None of the others looked up from what they were doing. Even Ron looked lost in a daydream.

"Hey you." Draco whispered in her ear sending shivers up her spine.

"Hey back." she replied. "I'm so glad you are here."

"Thanks." he grinned. "So another week till we head to Godric's Hollow?" This had been the topic of conversation that night. They had decided to go in a week's time, along with the rest of the higher order members.

"Yes. We are so close…" she said voice trailing off.

"Don't worry about it right now." he said soothing her. "Let's just enjoy today."

Hermione smiled at him.

Later in the evening up in Hermione's room she was getting ready for bed. She stood in front of the mirror and brushed her long hair before securing it in a loose bun. Draco was presumably in the bathroom taking a shower. The thought of him made her stomach feel heavy and her heart beat hard in her chest.

"Pull it together Hermione." she said aloud to her mirror image. Just then she heard him approaching the door. Quickly she sat on the bed and tried to look nonchalant. He entered the room without much noise and let his eyes adjust to the dimmed light.

"Hermione?" he whispered.

"I'm here." she replied nervously.

"Oh, I didn't see you there." he said as he walked towards her.

"It's alright." she said shyly. Her mouth was getting very dry. He sat down next to her and looked into her wide eyes. The moonlight that shone through the bedroom windows was just enough to catch the specks of different colors her eyes had to offer. He leaned in nervously and kissed her. She responded immediately kissing him back with fierce passion. Draco felt his heart beating loudly in his chest. He had never felt the things he was feeling at that moment in time. It was as if the whole world was revolving around the two of them. He had no other thoughts in his head other than her. The mirror of Erised had proved that. He kissed her deeper, pushing his tongue into her mouth and grabbing the back of her head keeping her lips pressed tightly to his. He began to push her back onto the bed. She was breathing hard and fast and trying to speak into his mouth. He pulled his lips off of hers and let her catch her breath.

"Draco…" she panted.

"Mmph…" he said cradling her neck with his left hand, his right was quietly snaking up her nightgown.

"Draco…stop." she whispered. His silver eyes re-focused on hers.

"What is it?"

"What are you doing?" she asked sitting back up and smoothing the front of her nightgown.

"I think you know the answer to that." he smirked.

"Maybe I should have rephrased that. What I meant was what did I do to make you think you had free reign to feel me up?" Draco noticed her voice sounded slightly annoyed.

"Well the other night…uh, what?" he asked in a confused way.

"The other night was wonderful, but I thought we were in danger, I was scared." she said shaking slightly. "I didn't mean for this…" she said motioning between them, "to become an all the time thing. I mean we aren't dating, I don't even know how I feel right now."

Draco closed his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. He knew that this would be coming, but he had hoped it would not be for a little while.

"I just wanted to be near you again." he said returning his gaze to her eyes. "Is that so wrong?"

Hermione looked into his endearing eyes and to his soft pink lips.

"No, it's not wrong, but…" and then his lips crashed down on hers again.

"You are the first person in as long as I can remember to treat me like a person, not just an object to achieve a goal. My mother was the only other one."

"Oh Draco…" she started.

"I don't like the sounds of that 'Oh Draco'" he sighed.

"It's not that." she said standing up and walking over to the window. "It's just that I was raised to wait for marriage for those kinds of things. And the other night was wonderful, but sex without love…it's not for me."

"What makes you think we were going to have sex?" he smirked.

"Well you were…you know!" she emphasized.

"I was kissing you. Got your mind in the gutter?" he laughed. Hermione scowled.

"Look Hermione, if you want to take it slower I'm okay with that. Just don't shut me out completely." he said standing next to her at the window and kissing her neck.

"I won't." she replied turning around and standing on her tiptoes to kiss his lips back softly.

"That being settled…" he said grinning wickedly and raising his eyebrows.

"Draco don't you dare." Hermione warned as he backed her onto the bed. She fell back when her knees caught the edge of the bed. He grabbed her wrists above her head with one hand and feigned like he was going to kiss her. Instead he took his other hand and tickled her furiously.

"Stop!" she squealed in between giggles. "I hate being tickled!"

"You shouldn't have told me that." he laughed. "It's like telling me not to eat the forbidden fruit."

Hermione shrieked with laughter before wriggling free and running around the bed.

"You are so in for it now!" she yelled before leaping across the bed and tackling him. She ripped his shirt off and began tickling his chest and stomach.

"You are out of luck. I am not ticklish." he said smugly.

"Oh yeah?" she asked before her hand reached his underarms. His smug look turned into a slight smile.

"Oh no I'm Draco Malfoy and I'm not ticklish!" Hermione mocked him as he continued to fight a fit of the giggles. His pale face was turning a shade of red that was visible even in the dim light of the room. He began to breathe hard through his nose to try to suppress his urge to laugh. After a minute or so he could no longer take it. He began to laugh loud and hard. Hermione couldn't help but laugh at him. He looked so relaxed and child like when he laughed it made Hermione's heart swell with happiness.

"Stop, stop!" he yelled in between laughs. "I give up, you win!"

"Say Hermione is the queen!" she said teasingly.

"NO WAY!" he yelled in a laugh.

"Say it!" she joked.

"NEVER!" he shouted back giggling like a mad-man.

"You asked for it then!" she said leaning over and tickling his underarms with both hand. He squirmed and shrieked in a high pitched voice.

Just then Harry and Ron came bursting through the bedroom door. Harry was in just boxers and a bathrobe but had his wand in hand and was pointing at Hermione and Draco.  
"What is going on in here?" Harry gasped out of breath from running down the stairs. "I heard Hermione scream. What's all this?" he asked as he realized that Hermione was in her nightgown on top of a shirtless Draco Malfoy. Ron looked ready to strangle the both of them.

"I can explain Harry." Hermione said getting off of Draco and standing up. "I got carried away goofing off." she looked down at the floor and not in Harry's eyes. Draco stood up and quickly put his shirt back on.

"Why did you scream then?" Ron asked looking Hermione directly in the eye.

"I didn't…uh, that was…" she broke off laughing again and Draco turned very red.

"It was me. But in my defense she was tickling me." he said pointing at Hermione who was covering her mouth trying desperately to stop laughing at Draco.

"I don't even want to know." Harry said turning his head and putting his hands up towards the couple. Draco and Hermione were now so overcome with fits of giggles that their faces were very red from trying to suppress them. Ron threw his hands in the air as a sign of disgust and walked out of the room followed by Harry who was just as out of sorts.

"You got us in trouble!" Hermione said jokingly.

"You started it." he said smugly.

"Did not!" she replied. "You are impossible."

"That's me," he answered "the impossible Draco Malfoy." he grinned like a child who just won a game of hide-and-seek.

Hermione couldn't help but smile back at him.


	12. Harry's obsession

**Disclaimer; I own nothing!**

**A/N Sorry for the late update, computer problems! Anyhow here is the next chapter. Godric's hollow will be soon, but we still have a ways to go as you will see. Happy reading and don't forget to review.

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Harry's obsession

The following week passed much slower than any of them could have imagined. Harry was getting so anxious to leave for Godric's hollow that he barely ate or slept. Hermione and Tonks urged him to try to rest so he would have strength but to no avail. He paced incessantly and practiced jinxes and curses like a man possessed. Five days before they were set to leave Remus had to give Harry a sleeping draft in his pumpkin juice so he could finally rest. The next day he was back at it.

"He is not going to last long acting like this." Tonks said as the rest of them watched Harry practicing in the sitting room. Even Ron tried to reason with him but he was more determined than ever to end this quickly. Hermione sat on the sofa reading quietly about the small village of Godric's hollow.

"It's quite a ways north of London." she remarked to Ginny who nodded in reply. "Remus, how exactly are we going to get there? It says in this book that you cannot apparate directly to the town, kind of like how you can't apparate to Hogwarts."

"There is a safe apparition point a few miles south. We will have to walk the rest of the way. Godric's hollow is mainly a muggle village. We can't just pop in there." he said in reply not looking up from his edition of 'The evening prophet'.

"Walk?" Ron said finally catching up to the conversation. "With Death eaters on the loose? Are you bloody mad?"

"Ronald!" Hermione said quite frustrated. "We will do what we have to do. There will be enough of us to be safe. Well, as close to safe as we can get in this situation." she added. Hermione looked at her watch and it was nearly nine p.m.

"Well I guess I will start dinner." she said. There were times when she felt that's all she did was cook.

"No, let Remus and I get dinner tonight. Go upstairs and relax." Tonks said patting Hermione on the shoulder and pushing her up the steps, winking at her as she did. Hermione scowled and went to her room where Draco was sitting on the bed reading up on things he missed in his seventh year at Hogwarts.

"Thanks for lending me your books." he said looking up from the 'Standard book of spells grade 7'.

"No problem." she said flopping next to him on the bed. She had spent very little time alone with Draco over the past days. Not that she didn't want to, but she could barely control herself around him sometimes. In her daydreams she saw herself just lying around in the cool green grass kissing him for hours on end.

"How's it going?" she asked him when she noticed him rubbing his eyes.

"Alright. I am having trouble with this though. I don't understand it and the book doesn't say how to perform the charm." he said pointing to a page in the book. Hermione looked at it and noticed it was showing the patronus charm.

"Well it is _very_ advanced magic." she told him. "But Harry taught me in our fifth year so he should be able to teach you."

"Potter could do this in our fifth year?" he asked amazed.

"Yes, remember that little meeting you and your, uh, friends broke up?" she asked remembering Draco's little inquisitorial squad.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"Well Harry was teaching us defense against the dark arts so we could pass our O.W.L.S. and to piss off Umbridge." she grinned.

"Potter never could follow the rules, but I'm surprised you went along with it. You were always the straight and narrow one." Draco remarked.

"It was my idea." she said proudly.

"I'm impressed. So what does this patronus charm do?" he asked.

"It's kind of like a shield of happiness. It drives Dementors away because they feed on happy thoughts. That's why most of us feel so hopeless when they are around. This gives them something else to feed off of instead of you."

"Oh. Does it do anything else?" he asked.

"I know it drives off Lethifolds (see bottom). Not sure what else, Harry's the one to ask. You should learn how to do it though."

"Potter doesn't look up to me asking him anything these days." Draco said.

"But maybe if he had something to teach, to keep his mind off of the trip to Godric's hollow it would help him as well." she told him.

"Will you ask him for me?" Draco asked.

"No, you are a big boy, you can ask him. He's in the sitting room."

"Big surprise. Practicing?" he wondered.

"Yes, now go. You will need all the time we have to learn it." she said pushing him out the door.

Draco walked down the creaky stairs, through the dining room and into the sitting room. Ginny was asleep in front of the fire and Harry was pouring through piles of heavy tomes.

"Oi, Potter." Draco said attempting to get Harry's attention.

"What is it? I'm very busy." he said not even looking up from his pages.

"Well, Hermion…Granger told me to come and ask you to teach me the patronus charm. She said you knew how and since I never learned it…Potter? Are you listening to me?' he asked in an annoyed fashion.

"Yeah, Hermione…something about a charm. Is there something you need Malfoy?" he asked finally looking up.

"Granger wants you to teach me the patronus charm. I don't know how and she thinks it would be a good idea. Is it true you have been doing it since our fifth year?"

"Third." Harry replied.

"But Granger said you taught her in our fifth year when Umbridge was there."

"Yeah, I did. But I learned in our third." he said slamming the large book shut. "So you want to learn?"

"Yes."

"Fine. We can start tomorrow though. I am exhausted. Ginny…Ginny, are you coming upstairs?"

The red head stirred and looked around at Harry, then at Draco.

"Yep, night Malfoy." she said grabbing Harry's hand and heading up the stairs. Draco waited a moment and then followed.

"What about dinner?" Tonks yelled from the dining room, but no one paid any attention.

"Guess it's just you and me tonight." she said smiling at Remus who was not complaining.

Draco re-entered the room and found Hermione writing a letter.

"Who are you writing to?" he asked.

"My parents. Just letting them know I am alive." she smiled slightly. Draco thought it must be nice to have someone worry about you. He knew his lowlife father was not the least bit concerned about his well being, and was probably pissed off that he was not dead yet. He noticed yet another letter on her nightstand, already sealed. It was addressed to Viktor Krum.

"You still write to Krum?" he asked.

"Yes, we have been friends for a long time." she replied.

"Friends?" he asked.

"Yes friends. Why?" she said as her writing stopped.

"Just wondered. You two looked awfully cozy at the Yule ball all those years ago."

And to Draco's surprise he felt a twinge of jealousy at Hermione's reminiscent smile.

"Yes, well really it was very flattering. But long distance relationships rarely work out, and besides I needed to concentrate on my studies and this whole thing with Harry. That's why we are just friends." she sealed up the letter to her parents and collected Hedwig who was perched in the window.

"Have a safe flight." she said after tying the letters to her leg and watching her fly out of the window.

"Potter is going to teach me the patronus. Tomorrow. He was going to bed now, but I'm not sure how much sleep he's going to get with the mini-redhead sleeping in the same bed." he laughed. Hermione smiled.

"Might help him take his mind off of things as well." Hermione said before patting the bed. Draco took the cue and sat next to her.

"So…" he said the edges of his mouth just slightly turning upwards.

"So…" she replied blushing furiously.

"We could take our minds off things too." he grinned.

"I thought we agreed…" she started but he cut her off in mid-sentence.

"I just meant a little something, that's all." he said staring into her dark eyes with his light ones.

"Well…" she started and he interrupted again by kissing her softly on her lips. His hand went behind her neck and hers to his hair. Kissing him was fast becoming Hermione's favorite thing to do besides read. Although she had to admit this was loads more fun. She inhaled his scent and it flitted through her nose and into her mind setting off a euphoric feeling. Even the soft feeling of his cheek against hers and the tiny bristly stubs that he got at this late hour gave her a heavy feeling in her stomach. Everything about him drove her crazy, although she would never admit that to him. His hand reached over and grabbed hers and held it for a brief moment before he rested it on his leg. She swallowed hard. Lifting her hand just slightly, Hermione grazed his thigh with her fingertips. Draco skin erupted in goosebumps. She felt braver than she could ever remember being. Brazenly she thrust her tongue into his mouth. He moaned her name softly as her hand began massaging his leg. Hermione knew she could not let this get too far tonight, but somehow she couldn't help herself from touching and tasting him. Draco's hand began to creep up the back of her blouse and in a second her bra strap was undone. She gasped into his mouth and went to pull back but his other hand on the back of her neck kept her firmly in that position. He reached up the front of her blouse and massaged her breasts softly.

"Mmmm…" she said quietly as her hand traveled upwards on his thigh until it reached an immense hardness. Her eyes widened as she felt it through the thin fabric of his shorts. It was much larger than she imagined it had been. His breathing became rapid and irregular as she touched and teased his leg. Hermione had to admit in her own mind that she loved the feeling of power she was getting from teasing him. It was a rush of adrenaline. In Draco's mind he was soaring into heights he had never reached before. He knew she was purposely grazing him with her fingers and allowing her hand to rest on areas just a second or two longer than she had minutes ago. If she kept this up he did not know if he would be able to stop.

"Hermione…" he gasped through shallow breaths. "We have to stop…"

"Hmmm?" she said not hearing him.

"I said we have to stop…if we don't…well we just have to." he said in a husky voice.

"Oh, well yes. I suppose so then." she told him although she could barely hear over her thumping heartbeat.

"Unless you don't want to." he smiled with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"I don't want to. But you are right, we have to." she said taking her hand off of his leg quickly.

"Yeah." he sighed heavily.

"Will you lay here with me tonight?" she asked.

"Of course. I have to use the bathroom right quick. Be back soon." he said standing up with extreme difficulty and limping down the hall to the bathroom. He retuned ten minutes later walking normally in an upright position and laid down on the bed behind Hermione.

"Night." she whispered.

"Night." he replied before drifting off to sleep.

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A Lethifold is a tropical creature which hunts for prey at night. It looks like a black shroud which glides along the ground. When it finds a victim (usually a sleeping human) it attempts to smother them by blocking their breathing. Once dead, the prey is eaten and digested on the spot. The Lethifold leaves no trace of its attack and the victim seems to have simply disappeared. The only known defense is the Patronus charm. 


	13. A trip to Diagon Alley

**Disclaimer; I own nothing!**

**A/N Hi all! I have to say how truely disappointed I am in how few reviews I got for the last chapter. Please if you read, review. I helps me decide what everyone likes. I really like this story and probably will finish this before I begin on 'The Deal' again. I'm just stuck on that and need to get this story out first. So please review and happy reading.****

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A Trip to Diagon Alley

Three days. Harry had only three days to teach Malfoy the patronus charm. He woke up the next morning anxious to get started. By nine am Harry was pacing the floor wondering where Draco was. Impatient, he walked up the steps and banged on the door.  
"Malfoy, wake up. We have very little time!" No response. Sighing heavily he pushed open the door only to find Malfoy's bed empty. He started to panic.

"Hermione, wake up!" he yelled to the lump of covers lying peacefully in the bed across the room.

He saw some stirring under the covers. Hermione poked her messy hair out of the covers.

"Thank gods Hermione, look, Malfoy is gone!" his voice had risen to an unusually high pitch. Just then Malfoy's blond head poked out of the other side of the bed. Harry's heart near stopped.

"What's going on?" Draco asked. Then he saw Harry's face. "Merlin." he said before flopping back down and hiding his head once again.

"What is _this_?" Harry asked not looking at Draco at all. Hermione's face blushed a deep red.

"I was just feeling slightly ill last night and I asked him to lay with me until I fell asleep. He must have fallen asleep as well. _Nothing happened!_ Don't look at me that way Harry." Harry had taken a few steps backwards and sat on the empty bed. Nothing in the world could have prepared him for seeing his best friend in bed with Draco Malfoy. Even if he was not the prat he used to be, it was still not an acceptable way to start the day.

"Look Harry, we are fully clothed!" she said standing up and yanking the covers off of herself and Draco. "Harry, I am nearly nineteen." she scolded him.

"Hermione, I see how the two of you have been acting recently." he said looking deep into her eyes. "Malfoy, give us a minute." Draco thought about saying something akin to 'It's none of your business.' but thought twice about it and he decided it was best to hold his tongue. He nodded at Harry before exiting the room and shutting the door behind him. Harry held out his wand and magically locked the door. He did not want Ron overhearing this conversation.

"Harry, really." she said walking over and sitting next to her nearest and dearest friend who looked like he just found out Santa Clause was not real.

"I'm in shock." he said. "I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt but he proved he cannot be trusted in my home. I want him out."

"NOTHING HAPPENED HARRY!" she exclaimed. _At least not last night. _"I just needed someone to talk to. I asked him to sleep there. He was a perfect gentleman." her voice pleaded with him.

"Malfoy a perfect gentleman? Don't make me laugh." he half-chuckled although he felt sick to his stomach.

"Please Harry. He is a friend to me, and the rest of you as well. He did nothing wrong. Nothing I didn't ask him to do. Please trust me." she looked into the emerald eyes of her best friend and begged silently.

"Alright Hermione. But if he crosses the line, if he does something to hurt you…" he broke off with that statement and his face filled with hate. Hermione nodded. "And that's not to say I condone anything you freely choose to do with him either. I think you should keep it strictly platonic. Now is not the time to get involved with anyone."

"Thanks Harry." she said hugging him but not agreeing to his advice either.

"Send him down when he gets back. We only have three days."

Minutes later Draco entered the room and peeked around the door jamb.

"All clear?" he called. Hermione laughed.

"All clear."

"Whew!" he said. "That was…close."

"You have no idea. Anyway Harry wants you downstairs. He wants to get started now. Good luck."

Somehow her words didn't comfort him.

Harry was pacing the floor waiting for Malfoy. He couldn't believe that Hermione was lying in bed with him, but she had told him nothing had happened and he had no reason to doubt her. A minute later Draco came sauntering in the room with a smirk on his face that Harry couldn't help but hate.

"Ready?" Harry asked taking a deep breath and ignoring the smirk.

"Yes. Should I use the wand you leant me?" he asked holding up Sirius' old wand.

"No." he said strolling over and grabbing the old wand out of Draco's hand and placing it back in the glass case it came from. "The patronus charm would never work with another wizard's wand."

"Mine was lost long ago." Draco told him.

"I know, Hermione told me. We are taking a trip to Diagon alley."

"Diagon alley? How in the name of Merlin am I going to get there? Someone will recognize me!" he said and panic started to set in.

"Relax," Harry told him. "No one will recognize you." he handed Draco a small vial. "Polyjuice potion."

"Who am I turning in to?" he asked already knowing the answer.

"Ron. He is forever breaking his wands so no one will be suspicious of him buying a new one."

Draco wrinkled his nose in revulsion at the thought of turning into the red headed weasel.

"Will the wand still be the correct one for me? I mean if I look like the weas…I mean Ron, won't the wand fit him as well?"

"No, the wand is suited to your soul."

"Ok, how are we getting there? Won't I turn back into myself before we reach Diagon alley?"

"We are going to floo to Remus' apartment in Diagon alley and then just walk to Olivander's. His nephew is running the business until he is found."

"Let's do it then." he said holding up the vial and saluting Harry. "Bottom's up!"

Draco downed the vial in one gulp and slammed it on the side table next to where he was standing. Suddenly he felt like he was going to vomit. Falling to his knees and clutching his throat he felt the potion running through his every vein. He looked at his body it was changing. His pale skin became marred with tiny brown spots. Freckles. His nose was elongating in front of his very eyes and when his hands reached up to his head, all of the baby fine white blond hair he treasured had morphed into a tangle of a wiry red mop. He dreaded looking into the large gilded mirror that hung on the opposite wall.

"This is a nightmare." he stated. Harry couldn't help but giggle. He knew it was Malfoy's worse fear. Turning into a poor Ron Weasley.

"You look fine." Some of Ron's robes were draped over the back of the sofa. "Put these on." Harry told him. Draco slipped them over his head.

"Am I convincing?"

"If I didn't know better, I would swear you were Ron." Harry grinned knowing it was annoying Malfoy.

"Let's go." was all Draco could manage. They walked over to the fireplace and Harry grabbed a handful of dust from the pot on the mantle.

"Remus' flat." he said throwing the powder into the fire and stepping into the emerald flames. A whirl of fire and he was gone. Draco followed suit and soon they both were standing in Remus Lupin's living room.

"He hasn't lived here for quite a while." Harry told him when he noticed Draco wrinkling Ron's nose at the modest accommodations. They made their way to the front door and down the narrow staircase and emerged on the main road of Diagon alley. A short walk and they were standing in front of Olivander's wand shop.

"I haven't got any money." Draco whispered. For the first time in his life he felt what it must really be like no to be able to afford luxuries, or basic needs like a wand for that matter. Instantly he felt ashamed for comments he had made to the real Ron for years while they were in school.

"I've got it." he said handing Draco a handful of galleons. Draco didn't know what to say.

"Uh…thanks." he whispered before entering the shop to a tinkle of a door bell.

Olivander's nephew came teetering out of the back stock room almost on cue. Harry almost did a double take. He had Olivander's silver eyes, and a crooked walk. You could definitely tell the two were family.

"Gentleman, how can I help you today?"

"My friend Ron here broke his wand. He needs a new one." Harry stated. Draco smiled uncomfortably.

"What kind of wand was the broken one?" he asked eyeing the pair suspiciously. Draco stood there mouth ajar not knowing what to say.

"It was Willow with unicorn hair, 14 inches." Harry said quickly. Olivander's nephew looked at him for a moment and returned his gaze to Draco.

"You cannot speak for yourself I expect." he said making Draco shift uncomfortably.

"He had his memory modified. He is just gaining some back so I am helping him around Diagon Alley." That seemed to satisfy the man and he led Draco and Harry over to the counter and began piling wands on the counter in their dusty boxes.

"I wish my uncle had some sort of organizing system." he said coughing up the dust. "Let's try this one first." he said handing Draco a box. Upon opening it Draco scowled. He liked his old wand and had not quite gotten over losing it. Inside the box was a birch wand. 10 inches. Dragon Heartstring. Draco picked it up apprehensively and waved it. It shattered a mirror that was hanging above the opposite display case.

"I don't have quite the knack my uncle did I'm afraid." he told them putting the wand back in and handing Draco another. And another. And then another after that. It seemed that since Olivander's unexpected departure the quality of wands had suffered greatly.

"Try this one, although it does not seem to suit you in my opinion. It is an unusual wand." he said darkly.

Draco opened the box and gasped at the wands quiet beauty. It was ebony, 12 inches long and highly polished.

"What is the core?" Draco finally spoke.

"Dragon Heartstring. From a Hungarian horntail." he said reading the box through his smeared spectacles.

Draco waved it and spoke an incantation.

"Lumos." The end of the wand lit up brightly and responded to Draco's every movement.

"I think we have a winner." the man said. "Shall I wrap it up for you?"

"No, I'll just take it with me." he said.

"Eleven galleons, five sickles please."

Draco paid the man quickly and placed his newest possession in his robes pocket and he and Harry exited the shop.

"It feels weird to have a wand of my own again. I thought the wand I would get would be more like my old one, but this one seems to suit me better." he smiled patting his pocket enjoying the sense of knowing that he had one again.

"What was your old one?" Harry asked as they rounded the corner.

"Hawthorn and unicorn hair. 13 inches." he said as if remembering fondly.

"Let's get back to Remus' apartment." Harry said as they approached the brick building. They entered the front door and climbed the steps. By the time they got to the top Harry was feeling very uneasy. The door was ajar.

"We closed and locked that door didn't we?" he whispered to Draco. Draco nodded and reached into his pocket pulling out his new wand.

"Time to test this I suppose." he whispered back. Harry nodded and pulled out his own wand.

"On the count of three." Harry murmured. "One…two…three!" He pushed open the door.

"Merlin." Harry muttered as Draco followed him in.


	14. Expecto Patronum

**Disclaimer; Still don't own it!**

**A/N WOW YOU GUYS ROCK! I got so many reviews I found myself checking my mail every few minutes just to read your wonderful comments. I love all you guys and thanks so much for taking that extra minute to review! Happy reading!

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Expecto Patronum

Harry and Draco were standing in the middle of the remains of Remus Lupin's apartment. The shabby furniture was broken and thrown everywhere. Papers ripped from the spines of Remus' vast book collection were lying all around. The drawers of the dresser were open and some were lying by the fireplace.

"What happened?" Draco said looking around.

"Someone was obviously looking for something. But what? Remus hasn't lived here in ages." he replied picking up some book pages on the ground. "We need to get out of here. The floo is out of the question."

"But…how will be get back to your place?" he asked. Harry nearly knocked him over trying to cover his mouth.

"Shhhh…not here. Let' go." Draco followed Harry out the door and into the crowded streets. Harry looked uncomfortably at his watch. Draco had only fifteen minutes before turning into himself, and that was not a good thing to happen in the middle of Diagon alley.

"We have to be quick. You only have a short time left as Ron. We need to find a point where we can disappear unseen. Any suggestions?" Draco shook his head.

"Shit." Harry said, but then a light of salvation came in the form of the back entrance to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Hurry, we need to get inside and get a room."

Draco nearly tripped over his robes.

"I thought you knew I am straight. Besides I thought you were into the Weasley girl." he said deadly serious.

"Not a room for us to share, which by the way is an image that will giving me nightmares for years to come, but a room for us to apparate from. It's too risky here."

Draco felt slightly embarrassed at his assumption. They entered the backdoor and got a key to number 4 from Tom who looked at them oddly. They jogged up the stairs and found number 4 quickly. Harry put the key in the door and turned the key. The locked popped open and both of them went inside. Harry closed the door and locked it behind them.

"Ok, that was close. You only have about 5 minutes left before you turn back into yourself. Now let's go." They both concentrated deeply on Harry's house and tried to apparate. Nothing happened.

"What is going on?" Draco asked.

"I don't know, but it's not good." Harry said looking around the room. There was a small flyer on the night side table. It read;

* * *

**Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron**

**Here are some rules and guidelines to make your stay the best in London.**

**You may check in at anytime, however check out is promptly at noon.**

**Room service is available 24 hours a day. Simply call the name of your room's house elf Georgina and they will bring you a menu.**

**Apperation is prohibited within the Leaky Cauldron. This rule is due to far too many dishonest wizards and witches skipping out on their room tab. This rule is strictly enforced.**

**The standard rate of 5 galleons applies to this room unless otherwise posted and during the Quidditch world cup.**

**Please clean up after your own owl. An owl care fee of 1 galleon a day will be imposed if you do not do so.**

**NO HAGS!

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Harry read the rules and dropped the paper on the floor.

"No apperating from here. And we only have like three minutes left." Harry told him.

Draco knew this was bad. He could not be spotted. Most thought he was dead.

"What are we going to do?" Draco asked starting to slightly panic. He looked in the mirror. His red hair was fading into the white blond he was used to seeing. His skin was paling at a rapid rate.

"It's too late." Harry said looking at his reverse transformation. This day was going from bad to worse.

"Now what?" asked a fully formed Draco Malfoy.

"I have no idea. Wait, let me look." Harry suddenly said reaching into his jeans pocket and fumbling around. He pulled out several pieces of paper with pictures of an ugly old woman on them. Harry saw Draco's odd expression and said;

"Muggle money. I think I have enough to get us to King's Cross. We can walk from there."

"Wait, what about the way I look? Someone might recognize me in Diagon alley." Draco said.

"We are not going by way of Diagon alley. We are going out the front door into muggle London. I have enough money for a cab. No one will recognize you in muggle London." he said confidently. Draco shrugged and nodded following Harry out the door and back down the steps. Harry turned in his key and paid Tom five galleons. Draco was trying to conceal his face by putting up the hood of his robes and waiting by the door. Harry made his way over to him and they left into the deserted alley. In a minutes time they had made it to the main road and hailed a cab. Draco looked at the yellow car in absolute wonder. He had never set foot inside a car in his life. It was for muggles, even though they completely fascinated him. Harry got in first and waited for Draco who was having trouble getting in. After a minute of persuasion he got inside but Harry had to tell him to shut the door. They were getting more than a few odd looks from the driver.

"Where to?" the driver asked.

"King's cross." Harry told him.

"Right." the driver said putting his foot on the gas and taking off a little quicker than was comfortable for Draco. The streets sped by him and he was getting an odd feeling of claustrophobia. Minutes later they were pulling up to the familiar looking station.

"Three pounds please." the driver said. Harry stuffed several of those papers into his hand and pushed Draco out of the cab quickly.

"How far?" Draco asked as they walked through the sun-soaked streets in the direction of Grimmauld place.

"About twenty minutes. Let's get a move on." Harry told him walking at a brisk pace.

Draco ran to catch up. They walked in near silence until finally they reached the small square near number 12.

"We're here." Harry said. Draco noticed for the first time that number 12 was squeezed unnaturally in between numbers 11 and 13. "Let's get inside and tell Remus about his flat."

Harry turned the serpent shaped door handle and walked inside the dimly lit house.

"REMUS!" Harry called out. "REMUS WHERE ARE YOU? TONKS? ANYONE HERE?" he yelled. Hermione, Ginny and Tonks came running in the sitting room.

"What is it Harry?" Hermione asked. "Where have you two been? I was worried sick and neither one of you bothers to tell anyone you are leaving?" she scolded.

"No time now Hermione, where is Remus?"

"In the shower." Tonks replied. "Why? Is something wrong?" she asked in a panicked voice.

"Yeah, we went to floo back here in Remus' apartment and it had been ransacked. We didn't dare use the fireplace to get back."

Remus walked in the room, hair still wet from the shower.

"What is going on?" he asked.

"Your flat. It's been ransacked. All your books, your furniture, everything is broken up. We decided it was best not to use the floo to get back here." he told him.

"How did you get back then?" Hermione asked.

"Took a cab to King's cross then walked. We couldn't risk apperating and going through Diagon alley was too risky seeing as Malfoy turned back into himself about a half hour ago." Harry said.

"Polyjuice Harry?" she asked raising her eyebrows in an accusing way.  
"He needed a new wand. I disguised him as Ron."

Ginny covered her mouth in a giggle.

"Funny." Draco said sarcastically.

"Honestly Harry." Hermione said exasperated. "Do you want to get yourself killed?"

"I don't need a lecture Hermione." Harry said flopping on the sofa. "I need everyone out of the room except Remus and Malfoy. Go."

The rest of the group looked shocked that Harry had spoken to them so shortly. They filed out of the room quickly, Hermione taking one look at Draco and smiling before shutting the door behind her.

"So Harry, you say my apartment was broken into. That is interesting." he said.

"Why is it interesting Remus?" Harry asked.

"Nearly everyone knows I have not stayed there in years. The only things there were some mismatched furniture and some old books. Nothing of importance." he said nonchalantly.

"So there was nothing hidden there the Death eaters would want?" Harry asked somewhat relived.

"Nothing. I suspect they were looking for me, maybe some of Greyback's people. I wouldn't worry too much about it. But I would like to know why you risked leaving this place with no protection." he scolded. Draco coughed slightly.

"I know you were there, but…" he stopped. There was no tactful way to say that he didn't trust Draco quite yet.

"But?" Draco asked.

"But Harry needs more than one person there with him." Remus added.

"The way I see it is that Potter here has faced Voldemort more than anyone else on the planet. And he had come out on top every time. I think he can take care of himself quite well."

Harry looked at Draco. Everyone was always treating him like a child. Like he couldn't take care of himself. Clearly not everyone saw him like that and he was grateful.

"Thank you Malfoy. We just left to get him a wand. He was disguised. I am going to teach him the Patronus charm."

"Really? That is something. Well I will let you get to it. Remember what I taught you." he said poking Harry in the side on the way out.

"I will Remus. Thanks." he said.

"Good luck Mr. Malfoy." Remus said closing the door behind him.

"Thanks." Draco mumbled.

"Okay, where to start?" he stood up and paced in front of the fireplace. "Okay, you need to think of a happy thought. A really happy one. Just sit there for a moment and concentrate." Draco sat in the armchair and tried to think of something happy. Nothing came to him straight off.

"Got something?" Harry asked impatiently.

"No. Just give me a few." he thought of his childhood. Very few good things there. His mum reading to him. That would do.

"Got it. Now what?" he asked.

"You need to say the incantation. It is Expecto Patronum. You need to say this very clearly and concentrate on the happy thought you had. Let's try it now. Go on."

Draco concentrated on his mum reading him a story. He was about five. He could picture her happy face. Her soft voice, even her smell. Roses and lavender. He closed his eyes and thought about it hard. Then he spoke the words;

"Expecto Patronum!" holding his wand out in front of him. Unfortunately at the last moment a fleeting thought of his mother dying crept into his head pushing out the good memory. His wand sat feebly in his hand not putting forth any patronus.

"Damn!" Draco swore.

"You weren't concentrating hard enough on your memory. It needs to be very happy. Is it happy?" Harry asked him.

"It was." Draco said thinking of it again. "But…"

"But? There can be no but. The memory needs to be clear. Happy. Let's try again and use a different memory. One with no 'buts'."

Draco concentrated hard again on his mother but he could not get a clear happy memory without thinking of her death. He would have to abandon that and find another happy one. He sat thinking while Harry impatiently tapped his wand on the side of the sofa. Just like that Draco had it.

"I've got it!" he said jumping to his feet.

"Alright. Try again. Expecto Patronum." he guided showing Draco the correct wand movement.

Draco thought hard about his memory and mimicked the wand motion.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" he shouted. A silvery wisp shot out the end of the wand and formed a concave shape. Harry beamed.

"That's more like it. Not a fully formed one, but a patronus none the less. Good job. Now try again."


	15. Letters from Viktor

**Disclaimer; I own nothing!**

**A/N Thanks to all again for all of the great reviews. I know I left the end of the last chapter abruptly but I didn't want the lesson to run too much into this chapter. Sorry. Also for those of you who don't know I update this story every Friday, eastern standard time. Its not random so don't be disapointed if there are no updates for a week. I will update on Fridays. Happy reading and please, please review!

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Letters from Viktor

By the end of the day neither Harry nor Draco had eaten much of anything. None of the other members of the house had bothered them since just after they returned. Ron had popped his head in to see how it was going and was promptly told to get out. Harry saw a determination in Draco that he had rarely seen in another wizard. It reminded him of his own resolve to learn the Patronus charm in his third year. And after many hours it seemed Draco had finally got the hang of it. Harry watched in admiration as his patronus, a large eagle, soared around the room glowing brightly.

"Well done Malfoy!" Harry said.

"Thanks." Draco said beaming at his protector. "Why the eagle?" he asked.

"It's different for every wizard. Mine is a stag, Hermione's is an otter, and Ron's is a crup." he smiled thinking of the DA lesson where nearly everyone had conjured their patronus. It was one of the best days of his life.

Draco stood at the center of the room and watched his patronus fly in a circle around him. His first thought of his mother had been marred by sadness. Then his thoughts turned to another woman. A woman he had grown close to. His thoughts had been of Hermione. Specifically the night they made love.

"Incidentally, what was your memory?" Harry suddenly asked.

"Private." Draco replied smiling as his eagle patronus faded. "I'm famished. Let's take a break." he said strolling towards the door and heading towards the kitchen where the rest of the house was waiting.

Hermione and Ginny were standing at the counter chatting when they saw Harry and Draco coming down the narrow hallway. Ginny ran and hugged Harry kissing him on both cheeks. They sat down at the long wooden table and began talking with the others. Draco strolled over to Hermione and smiled.

"How did it go?" she asked desperately attempting to avoid his gorgeous eyes.

"Fine, I learned it already. It was not as hard as I thought once I got the perfect memory." he said winking at her. Hermione blushed deeply secretly knowing what that memory must have been. She was both flattered and embarrassed by his revelation.

"Well, that's good. I'm glad you learned it." she said as she fumbled with some dishes. "So what was your patronus? Let me guess…a snake?" she joked.

"No miss smarty. An eagle." he said poking her in the side. She giggled.

Across the room Harry was not the only one to notice Hermione and Malfoy's overly friendly treatment of each other. Ginny was giggling and poking Harry in the side.

"I think Hermione is smitten." she whispered in Harry's ear. Harry had to admit that Hermione looked happier than he had seen her in a long while.

"Yeah, just don't let Ron hear. You know how he overreacts." he whispered back. Ginny nodded.

"Where is Ronald anyway?" she said looking around the room. His red hair was no where to be seen.

"Not quite sure." Harry replied. "Has anyone seen Ron?"

"He's showering." Tonks replied. "He's got a date tonight."

"A WHAT?" Hermione yelled causing Draco to jump a little. "We are right in the middle of this and he goes on a date? Only Ron would do such a thing." she said throwing her hands up in defeat.

"Some girl he met in Hogsmeade. Just tea in Madam Puddifoot's. No big deal." Harry told her. "Everyone could do with taking their mind of things for a day or so. I feel burned out." Ginny patted his shoulder soothingly.

"It's just our Godric's hollow trip is only three days away…" she started.

"Two now." Ginny interrupted.

"Thanks for reminding me…" Harry said gloomily.

Just then Ron came bounding down the steps, dressed in his muggle best. Dark jeans and a white button up shirt with tiny maroon pin striping.

"I won't be long." he told them looking at Hermione directly. She shifted uncomfortably on the spot. Draco looked at the interaction with curiosity.

"Don't worry mate, just take care." Harry said. Ron grinned as he headed for the fireplace in the sitting room. He was taking the floo.

"What was that?" Draco whispered to Hermione.

"What do you mean?" she asked in reply.

"That little thing between you and weas…I mean Ron." he said catching himself before he started up with the name calling again.

"I was just surprised that he would go on a date at a time like this that's all." she said. "Although I can't blame him. He is the only one in this house without someone." Her face flushed as she said this. Draco couldn't help but grin.

"Yeah, I guess that would be hard. I still think he has feelings for you." he said quietly.

"We will always care about one another. Harry too." she told him. "We have been through too much together to let anyone come between us."

That didn't sit exactly right with Draco but he kept quiet about it. He had a nagging feeling that Ron's affections where Hermione was concerned were a bit more than she realized. Draco knew he had directed that comment about the date right at Hermione. It was eating at his mind the rest of the night. And to make things even more frustrating Hermione was still keeping their intimate relations at an arms length. Of course this could be due to the fact that Draco was still keeping his true feelings a secret from her.

Draco was changing into some pajamas Potter had leant him and Hermione was in the bathroom showering before they turned in. A snowy white owl came pecking on the window asking for entrance. She was clutching letters for Hermione tightly in her beak. Draco took the letters and set them on the bed before releasing the owl into the hallway so she could find her owner. Draco walked by the bed and glanced at the letters. One was from Hermione's parents, the other from none other than Viktor Krum. Just then he heard Hermione approaching the room. He made a mad dash towards his bed and jumped on just as she turned the door handle.

"Hey, was that Hedwig I saw in the hallway?" she asked. Draco nodded.

"I put the letters on the bed." he said nonchalantly. She smiled and walked over opening the one from her parents first.

"My mum sure was relived to hear from me. I feel so bad that I haven't been to visit in ages. As soon as this mess is over I am taking off a few weeks and staying with them." she said putting the letter on the bed side table. She proceeded to open the letter from Viktor. Draco didn't like the look of happiness that crossed her face as she read the letter. Not that he was jealous of Krum. He tried his best not to watch her read. She giggled a few times as she read the letter and then she set it aside.

"So what did Krum have to say?" he asked in a casual sort of way.

"Not much. Glad to hear from me though. He has heard some awful things about Voldemort's followers torturing muggle borns and he has been worried." she said with a faint smile.

"Oh." Draco replied pretending not to care.

"Better keep all that emotion in Draco, someone might think you cared." she huffed blowing out the candle by her bed.

Draco lay there trying to think of a reply but none came to him. Soon he heard Hermione's steady breathing and he knew then he would need to tell her how he felt or risk losing her. But he needed to see that letter from Krum first. An hour after she had fallen asleep he snuck over to her bedside and snatched the letter. Not wanting to put the light on in the bedroom he ran down the hall to the bathroom and locked the door behind him. He lit the candle and as soon as the glow was bright enough he began to read.

_Dear Hermione,_

_You don't know how glad I was to receive your letter. I have been hearing terrible things about muggle borns being tortured by Death Eaters and all I could think of was you. I know you are a competent witch but the thought of your torture tears at my heart. I miss you terribly and it is lonely up here without you._

_When you are alone it gives you much time to think about life and mistakes. I know we said we would be just friends but maybe when this ordeal is over we could consider giving our relationship another try. Just think about it. No decisions need to be made right now. I may visit soon if it is okay with you. I am glad you are making progress in the hunt for he who must not be named. Just be careful. I want you safe and sound when I see you again._

_Write to me soon._

_Love,_

_Viktor._

Draco's face flushed red as he read this. Krum did have feelings for Hermione after all. Draco wondered if she returned those feelings. She had told him that they were just friends, was that the truth? Frustrated he left the bathroom and headed back to the bedroom. He replaced the letter where he found it and climbed back in bed. He had never cared this much about anyone before, but he would never admit it if he didn't know she felt the same. He supposed he would have to wait it out and see.

The next morning the countdown to Godric's hollow was on. It seemed only yesterday to everyone that they had decided to go. That had been five days ago. Now with only two full days left apprehension filled the air. Breakfast was somber. No one speaking much, just the sounds of clanking plates and silverware. Ron looked particularly tired this morning. Finally Harry broke the silence.

"How did the date go?" he asked.

"Oh, fine. Got in a bit later than planned." he said winking at Harry. Ginny made a disgusted face and got up from the table, half her plate uneaten.

Hermione pretended to ignore his innuendos by scraping off her leftover food into the rubbish bin. It shouldn't bother her and yet it did. She had Draco, or at least she thought she did. He had been particularly distant that morning. Right after breakfast she headed for the sitting room to read without another word to the group.

"What's up her bum this morning?" Ron asked tactlessly. Harry shrugged but Draco stood up from the table and started to follow her into the sitting room.

"Sometimes it is best just to leave her be mate." Harry called after him, but it was too late.

He ran up the stone stairs after her and attempted to enter the room just as she slammed the door. He checked the snake-like knob and found it to be unlocked. He entered carefully.

"Hey…uh, what was that all about?" he asked.

"Oh it's just Ronald. He has the tact of a troll. As if anyone cares about his date." she spat in a voice that was not her own.

"It almost sounds as if you are jealous." he said bitterly. "Is there something going on with the two of you that you need to tell me?"

"Of course not!" she replied quickly. "We are just friends; it's just that I don't want to hear that he is shagging this girl or that one."

Draco sat on the couch next to her and watched her for a minute before speaking.

"I'm not sure that's the truth." he said flatly. Hermione looked shocked.

"It is! How dare you presume to know what I am feeling! Just because I don't want to hear about the sexual lives of my friends does not mean that I have feelings for him. I wouldn't want to hear about Harry and Ginny either!" she said defensively.

"It's just that I thought we were close but this outburst and letters from Viktor make me think otherwise."

"I told you that Viktor and I were just friends." she sat for a second and then said "Did-you-read-my-letter-from-Viktor?" pronouncing every word firmly.

"No." he replied "I could just tell how you fancy having him write to you. Him being famous and all." Hermione looked mortally offended by this comment.

"What does all this matter to you?" she asked. "I mean we aren't together officially. You don't know how you feel and neither do I."

"That's all you know." he said in a hushed voice.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Spit it out Draco, we might as well get this all out in the open. I don't want our mission to Godric's hollow compromised due to our squabbling."

"I said 'that's all you know'" he replied now speaking directly to her face.

"What does that mean?" she asked. "You speak in riddles and innuendos and never come out to say exactly what you mean. You are acting like a jealous school boy and I have had enough of those to last me a lifetime." tears were welling in her eyes and she looked away from him.

"You want the truth?" he asked harshly.

"Yes."

"Will you tell me the truth then as well?"

"Of course." she said looking back at him, avoiding his eyes at all costs.

"I want us to be together." he said. The lack of emotion confused Hermione.

"That was pathetic." she said coolly.

"I love you." he finally managed to spit out.

"You don't know what love is." she huffed. She felt not at all like her usual self.

Draco felt something deep in his chest hurting. Never had he been rejected like this.

"You asked me to tell you the truth and I did. You agreed to tell me the truth as well." his silver eyes looked into hers. The morning light reflecting in them.

"I think that this is getting too complicated." she said still avoiding his gaze.

"That's not the truth. You agreed to tell me."

"I'm sorry. I don't know what to say." she said staring down at the floor. Draco leaned in and kissed her lips before she could say another word. His chest pressed against hers and his hands ran through her hair trying to remember every strand. She kissed him back for just a moment before pulling away.

"How about now?" he asked trying to catch his breath.

"I'm sorry." she said again running from the room and up to the bedroom.

Draco sat there for a moment before making the biggest mistake ever. Leaving Grimmauld place.


	16. Malfoy Mausoleum

**Disclaimer; You know it by heart by now. I don't own it. I am broke and make no money from it. **

**A/N Sorry for the delay in the update of this story! I have been trying to log on since Thursday evening and it kept saying the server was busy or broken. Go figure! Well here is the update. I hope you all like it as well as I do. Everyone go to my MY SPACE account to see pics of my new baby chihuahua Puka! He is sooo cute! Go to my profile and follow the link. Happy reading and don't forget to review!

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Malfoy mausoleum

The cool morning air rushed across Draco's face as he left the battered door between number 11 and number 13 Grimmauld place. He gripped his wand underneath his robes and headed down the street towards the park that was nearby. They had passed it coming home from Diagon alley the other day. Foolishly he had thought Hermione would return his sentiment and they would walk hand in hand into the proverbial sunset. How wrong he was. He reached the park quickly on foot and sat on a bench near the middle. Some mothers with young children were staring in an unfriendly manner at him. He stopped to consider just how foolish he must look sitting there in the summer sun in full black robes. He had no idea where to go, but he knew he had to make a decision quickly before anyone spotted him.

* * *

Back at number 12 Hermione was sobbing up in her room. She looked to where Draco slept and felt even worse. She had no idea what made her treat him the way she did. She was so frightened of being hurt that she had rejected what was right in front of her. Just then Harry came bolting into the room.

"Malfoy's gone!" he shouted out of breath.

"He's in the sitting room." she sighed.  
"No, he just walked out the front door! The sensor went off. By the time I got there I couldn't see where he went. We have got to find him and quickly!" he said setting off down the stairs. Hermione sat there stunned for a moment before following Harry as fast as her legs would carry her. When she got to the bottom the rest of the household were standing there glaring in an unfriendly manner. She sighed guiltily and headed out to the sitting room. He was no longer there and the reality of the situation set in. He was out there, alone and in grave danger if a death eater spotted him.

"Well what are you all waiting for? Let's go!" she said but no one moved.

"We can't all go charging out the front door in broad daylight." Remus said. "Someone will notice."

"Who cares?" she said panicking. "We need to find him!"

"He was your responsibility Hermione. I will go with you but if we can't find him soon we will have to return here and pray he doesn't fall into the wrong hands. He knows too much." Harry said. Hermione headed for the door and ran outside onto the lawn waiting impatiently for Harry. He followed a moment later and the door shut and disappeared behind them.

"Where do we start?" she said in a shaky voice.

"I have no clue 'Mione. What happened that he decided to leave?"

"Uh…I don't know. I didn't think he would be this foolish." she said.

"What did he say to you? Or you to him?" Harry pried.

"Let's not get into that okay Harry?" she asked as she scanned the streets for a flash of platinum blond hair.

"I told you to be careful Hermione!" Harry yelled. "I told you not to get involved! But did you listen? NO! Hermione knows everything!"

He continued to rant and scold her as they walked briskly down the street towards the park. Hermione hung her head low. She knew it was her fault Draco had left. All she had to say to him was that she loved him. And she couldn't do it. It would have put her heart on the line and she knew she was the one to play it safe.

"Now what happened 'Mione? And I want the truth." Harry's emerald eyes blazed at her as they reached the park.

"The truth? I don't even know what that is right now!" she blurted back. "I just need to find him and talk this out."

"I want an explanation. I will wait until we get back to my house but I expect an answer." he said sternly. Hermione nodded knowing full well not to argue with Harry when he was about to lose it. His temper was no where near as volatile as Ron's but it was still pretty bad when he was really angry.

* * *

Draco waited until no one was around him and then concentrated really hard on the one place he thought he would be safe. With a pop he disappeared and reappeared in a lush garden surrounded by a high hedge. He looked around to make sure no one was around and then he made a dash for the gate on the opposite end of the garden. The dewy grass crunched under his feet as he ran and a mist still hung heavy in the morning air. He reached the gate and found it to be locked. He pulled the wand from his robes and whispered;

"Alohamora."

He heard a tiny click and swiftly removed the ancient rusted lock. The iron gates swung open with a creak and he entered the dark building. A pungent smell hit his nose the moment he walked into the darkness. It was damp and mossy inside. Heavy iron torches hung unlit on the brick walls on either side of the narrow passage. He lit his wand with a silent 'Lumos' and walked carefully towards the opening at the end of the passage. Water dripped from in between the bricks of the building hitting him randomly in the head as he walked. After a moment or so the narrow walkway opened into a large cavernous room. Bronze plates marked areas on the wall from the floor to the ceiling. The room was a large circle with small stone seats near the middle. Draco held his wand high and close to the bronze markers searching for a name. Halfway around the room he found what he was looking for.

**Narcissa Black Malfoy**

**1959-1997**

**Beloved wife and mother**

Draco wondered for a moment who had placed the white roses in a vase next to his mother's name. He supposed the house elves were under orders to do so. He leaned against the cold stone and slid down the wall tears silently falling from his eyes.

"Mum…I miss you so much." he said to her vault. "I thought…I thought I had found someone who loved me nearly as much as you did. But I guess I was wrong." he said.

"I'm sorry I have not been here to visit you…" he sniffed "I was hiding out like a coward. But I wanted to have a chance at avenging your death. I wanted Snape to pay for betraying you. Then something happened that changed me. Someone I went to Hogwarts with found me, nursed me back to health, gave me a chance to help destroy Voldemort. I thought she cared for me, I was beginning to fall for her but I should have known that she could never forgive all of my previous behaviors. I was cruel to her in school. Called her terrible names to cover up for the way I felt about myself and Lucius. I have to go into hiding again mum, but just know I think of you nearly all the time. I love you." Draco stood up wiping his eyes on the sleeves of his robes. He sighed heavily knowing it may be the last time he visited this mausoleum until he was buried there himself. He started back towards the narrow hallway when he heard a voice call out for him.

"Ah, Draco. Your Aunt Bella has been looking forward to seeing you." A tall dark haired woman stepped into the dim light of Draco's wand. Her wand was pointed at him.

"I wish I could say the same." Draco murmured.

* * *

By the time Hermione and Harry reached the park square Draco had long gone.

"Shit." Hermione swore aloud taking Harry by surprise.

"He's not anywhere around here. Where else would he go?" he asked her. She shrugged.

"I don't know." she replied miserably.

"Do you think he apperated?" Harry asked.

"I DON"T KNOW!" she shouted in frustration. "It's all my fault. He left because of me and now he's going to be killed." fat tears were running from her face now. Harry tried to put his arm around her shoulder but she shook him off.

"Just leave me be. I will find him. Go home." she said near sobbing.

"No, I will help you find him. Now we just need to look for a magical trace. A sign he apperated."

"I have no idea how to do that." she said. "I don't know how to do anything."

"Just wait here a second." Harry said pushing her into the nearest bench. He looked around to make sure no muggles were in sight before waiving his wand and muttering something. Hermione looked and saw a faint white glow coming from the bench where she was sitting.

"Is it…is it what I think it is?" she asked.

"He apperated. But to where?" Harry said thinking deeply.

"I don't know. He wouldn't go back to the manor would he?" she asked.

"It's possible. Where else would there be?"

"He has no one to run to. No one." she said thinking hard. "His mother was the only one he trusted and she's dead."

"Was his mother buried?" Harry asked.

"I don't know. I guess so." she said.

"Do you think he would go visit her gravesite?" Harry asked.

"It's possible. But where is that?" Hermione said with some hope in her voice.

"I don't know. Does his family have a sepulcher at the manor?"

"Most old wizarding families do." she said standing up.

"I suppose it's worth a look. But if he's not there don't panic. Maybe he just needed a walk or something to clear his head. We can't spend too much time looking for him, especially when we are this close to going to Godric's hollow."

Hermione nodded and grabbed a hold of Harry's arm. They both pictured the manor as they did in previous trips and soon the familiar feeling of apperation filled their bodies.

* * *

"So, my precious nephew…where have you been?" she asked, wand aloft circling him like a hunter stalking prey.

"I've been around, I'm surprised you were so worried about me." he said sarcastically.

"Oh, we all have been very worried." she hissed. "After all you are the last of your bloodline. The family lineage needs to be looked after."

"Don't worry Aunt Bella, I have been spreading my seed to every muggle-born I could find." he smirked.

"You filthy mudblood lover!" she spat. "How dare you besmirch the family name with filthy muggle blood?"

Draco knew he needed to bide time so he could get out of there alive. Infuriating his aunt was just a bonus as far as he was concerned.

"I may have a few half-bloods floating around out there right now." he countered. He could tell his aunt's normally pale face was flushed with anger.

"If your father knew…" she started to say but Draco interrupted.

"You mean Lucius? He's no father of mine. And I can only assume that my mother and my aunt Andromeda had a different father from you. After all they were sane and clearly you are not."

"Your father is a great man and a loyal servant of the Dark Lord. Your mother ruined his reputation by coming to Snape for help. She should have been proud to let you serve the Dark lord and if you died in the process you would have been forever exalted in the eyes of him and his followers." she said holding her head high.

"Thank Merlin you never had children. You have no idea what love even is. Voldemort does not love you. You are nothing to him." he said.

"You dare speak his name when you and your mother betrayed him as you did?" she spat.

"I do not fear him any longer. I am not the sixteen year old child being brought to him to hear my mission. A mission he knew I could not possibly complete. So yes, I will speak his name because fear of a name gives credence to the name itself." he said proudly.

"Crucio!" Bellatrix called out wand pointed at Draco.

A thousand needles pierced his body sending him instantly to the floor. His head hit the cold stone floor making his vision blur. But the pain from the curse was a million times worse. Every muscle in his body throbbed.

"Had enough my precious nephew? You were your mother's pride and joy, now look at you…sprawled out on the floor like common trash." she laughed a horrible high pitched laugh.

"Fuck you." he managed before she struck him with the Cruciatus curse again. The pain surged through his body paralyzing him for a moment.

"Enough now?" she cackled.

"Fuck you! Get out of my mother's crypt. You didn't love her. Why are you even here?" he gasped.

"Oh, but Drakey…I was here waiting for you. The Dark lord knew you wouldn't stay away forever. That's why I put that intruder charm on the gates to the vault. Oh how the dark lord will thank me." she smiled in a slightly sickening way. Draco managed to scramble to his feet and re-point his wand at his aunt.

"I am going to end this now!" she shouted. "Avada…"

But just then a flash of red light and a female voice shouting;

"Stupefy!" filled the catacombs. The jet of light hit Bellatrix directly in the chest and she crumpled to the floor in a heap.

A light from behind the caster of this spell brightened as they approached. Draco could just make out a mop of untidy hair.

"Draco!" the female voice yelled and he knew it instantly.

"Granger?" he said.

"Of course…who else would be here saving you?" she asked holding out her hand for him.

"I don't know." he muttered slightly embarrassed.

"Hey mate." Harry said as he silently bound Bellatrix up with invisible ropes. "You didn't have to run off without a proper good-bye." Draco half-smiled.

"Sorry about that, needed a moment to think." he said looking at Hermione.

"Oh, it was all my fault. I'm so sorry I acted the way I did. I was confused and didn't think about what I was saying and how it would make you feel. I know how I feel and I love you. I want to be with you. Say you will forgive me?" she asked holding his hands in her own. Harry looked only mildly surprised at the news.

"I'll forgive you. But you were right. I did read your letter from Viktor and I got jealous. I should have let your private business alone."

"Oh you!" she said kissing him squarely on the lips. Harry made a slight coughing sound to bring them back to reality.

"Best friend standing here Hermione." he said joking.

"Sorry Harry." she said releasing her lips from Draco's.

"Now let's get this hag back to the ministry." Harry said "Wingardium Leviosa" he shouted pointing his wand at the bound and unconscious Bellatrix. Within minutes the ministry had back one of their most wanted fugitives.


	17. Admissions and acceptance

**Disclaimer; Must I tell you again? I am not JK Rowling. Period. Moving on...**

**A/N I know we are supposed to limit review responses to private messages but I have to say one thing. If you are going to say something negative please leave your email in the proper section so that I can respond to you. Thank you. And on with the story, Happy reading and don't forget to review!

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Admissions and acceptance

After the trip to the ministry the three of them returned to number 12 Grimmauld place. Remus, Tonks, Ginny and Ron were pacing the floor worried sick that something had happened to Harry and Hermione. When Harry, Hermione and Draco burst through the front door a cheer erupted from the room.

"Harry, thank gods! I was so worried!" Ginny cried running towards Harry and nearly tackling him to the ground.

"Everything is fine. Better than fine." Harry replied.

"What took you so long? It's nearly six. Where did you go?" Remus asked.

"To the ministry, well first to Malfoy manor then to the ministry." Hermione replied.

"The manor?" Tonks asked. "Why did you go there?"

"Because of me." Draco added. "I went there to visit my mum's gravesite. Thank Merlin they showed up, my aunt Bellatrix cornered me there. Harry and Hermione captured her and brought her to the ministry."

"You captured Bellatrix Lestrange?" Remus asked. Harry nodded. "Well done then Harry. And you too Hermione and Draco."

"Don't thank me. I put them in danger by running off like that. I didn't use my head." he said smiling at Hermione. "Luckily Hermione has enough brains for the both of us."

"Why did you run off?" Tonks asked looking suspiciously at Hermione and Draco.

"Because of me." Hermione said blushing. "He told me something and I didn't respond the way he thought I would. So he left to think it over. And he ended up at his mother's grave."

"What did he tell you?" Ginny asked.

"Uh…that's private." she said blushing. Draco looked down at the floor as well.

"What is going on?" Ron asked. "Something is not being said here, and if it is going to put the order in danger it needs to be out in the open." His ears were just beginning to turn red, Hermione knew that signaled that he was about to go on a rant.

"It's okay." Draco whispered in her ear. "Tell them." He grabbed hold of Hermione's hand and squeezed tightly.

"Draco and I…that is to say we, uh…well he loves me. And I love him." her voice was barely more than a whisper.

"I didn't quite catch that Hermione." Ron said loudly, his face now as red as his hair. "Speak up."

"We are in love." she said in a firm voice.

"That's what I thought you said." Ron replied walking over to stand toe to toe with Draco. "How dare you come into Harry's home and seduce our friend into believing you love her. That is just sick!"

"Ron, calm down." Harry said. "They are telling the truth. I saw it in her eyes at the Malfoy mausoleum."

The rest of the house stood there in complete silence. Tonks was standing next to Remus gripping his hand tightly. Ginny had moved behind Harry knowing Ron was about to blow.

"You condone this?" Ron asked. "Just because Malfoy here has helped us does not mean that he has proper intentions where Hermione is concerned."

"I think Hermione is smart enough to make her own decisions." Ginny said loudly.

"Does anyone care what I think?" Hermione asked in an annoyed voice.

"Of course Hermione." Remus said calmly.

"It is my choice who to care about. And Ron I care about you and Harry and Ginny like you were my own family. But I need more than that. I am a grown woman. I have emotional needs that family alone cannot fill. Please just let me make my own decisions. My own choices. Just accept my choices now and if they are the wrong ones be there to comfort me. That's what I need from you. That's what friends do for each other." her brown eyes pleaded with Ron.

"I do love her Ron." Draco said calmly. Ron turned to look at him. "She is the first person to make me feel like I have any worth. She took care of me when I was injured even though she hated me. I know how I have behaved in the past, and I am not proud of it. But if you have never believed anything that has come out of my mouth believe this. I love her. And if you give me a chance I will prove it to you."

Ron looked at Hermione and then back at Draco.

"Are you sure about this 'Mione?"

Hermione looked at Draco then back at Ron.

"I have never been more sure of anything Ron."

She held her arms out and hugged Ron tightly, whispering in his ear;

"I love you Ron. You will always be my family. My best friend."

He released her from the hug and nodded.

"Alright 'Mione." Ron said weakly. "You win. You always do."

"Alright, now that this is cleared up, let's celebrate!" Ginny said. "Hermione is in love and Bellatrix is going back to Azkaban! My mum and dad will be here shortly and so will Professor McGonagall. They are going to stay and go with us to Godric's hollow."

"Wonderful!" Hermione said. She felt so happy and full of hope that she practically glowed. Hermione made her way into the kitchen and began to prepare a huge meal for everyone. Just then the doorbell rang. Hermione wondered who could possibly be at the door so quickly but she continued to cook. Soon enough her questions were answered. Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood had come to visit.

"Neville, Luna! I am so glad to see you." she said hugging both of them tightly. "You heard about us capturing Bellatrix today I suppose?" Neville nodded. Draco entered the kitchen a moment later to the surprise of the newest houseguests.

"Neville, Luna you know Draco. He is helping us out on the Horcrux hunt."

"Hello." Neville said shyly. Luna merely smiled in a dreamy sort of way.

"Hello." Draco replied before kissing Hermione on the cheek. "I'm going to go talk to Harry." he said heading back for the sitting room where Ginny was decorating for a pre-mission celebration.

"What was that about Hermione?" Neville asked.

"Oh…" she said blushing. "that? Well, Draco and I are sort of dating." she said grinning from ear to ear, unable to control her extreme happiness.

"Dating? Draco Malfoy? I don't understand." Neville said. "I thought he hated, you know, muggle borns."

"It's a long story Neville, but we have worked past everything that happened when we were at school. Why don't you go talk to him? He's not the person he was at Hogwarts."

Neville walked gloomily towards the sitting room leaving Luna behind.

"I see why you forgave him." Luna said softly. "He's gorgeous."

Hermione blushed again.

"Yeah. So how have you been Luna? You look different."

"Well…I guess I have become skilled in glamour charms." she said in her wistful voice.

Hermione looked and noticed her blonde hair was no longer dirty blonde but smooth honey colored. And her eyes that were pale blue were now vivid and bright.

"Are you and Neville…you know…an item?" she asked giggling.

"No, just friends. I haven't found my soul mate yet." she told Hermione.

"Are you going with us to Godric's hollow?"

"I think so. I would like to anyway." Luna said.

"We would love to have you." Hermione said carrying the first tray of food from the kitchen to the sitting room.

"Can I help you?" Luna asked.

"Don't be silly, you are our guest. Go have fun with the others. Ron and Harry will be glad to see you." Luna walked ahead of her a few steps and into the sitting room. Hermione had never seen the room look so bright and festive. Ginny had placed several luminous non-exploding balloons in every corner of the room. The soft glow illuminated the room. Harry had brought up several flagons of pumpkin juice, oak matured mead and firewhiskey up from the cellar. Hermione placed the tray of appetizers on the table nearest the wall and joined in the celebration. A minute or so later Ron came down the steps and joined in as well.

"Bloody hell!" he yelled bringing the party to a stop.

"What is it Ron?" Hermione asked in a worried voice.

"Who is that?" he asked pointing at Luna.

"Ron, have you gone mental?" Ginny whispered "It's Luna Lovegood, from school."

"Luna, it can't be." he said holding his forehead.

"What is wrong with you Ronald?" Hermione asked.

"It's her. The girl from the mirror of Erised. The one I didn't know. That's her. It's Luna!" he said all in one breath.

"Luna?" Hermione asked. "Really? Are you sure?"

"I am totally one hundred percent sure. Why does she look different?" he asked Hermione.

"I think she is wearing a glamour charm."

"So what does this mean 'Mione? Is she really the 'one'?" Ron asked nervously.

"You know Ron; I think she just might be." Hermione smiled. "Go talk to her." she said pushing him across the room. Ron took a deep breath and crossed the room.

"Luna? You look…wow." he said turning a deep shade of scarlet. Luna smiled at him.

"Thank you." she said absentmindedly

Hermione was so happy for Ron and Luna. Next to arrive was Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Both of whom gave Hermione a huge hug before joining the others. Professor McGonagall arrived next with Hagrid in tow.

"'lo Harry." he said in his low voice.

"Hagrid, professor. I'm so glad both of you came. I suppose you heard about our big capture earlier."

"Of course Potter. Who hasn't?" McGonagall said primly before retreating to talk to the Weasleys.

"I'm so proud Harry." Hagrid said before helping himself to the mead. "Your mum and dad would be too."

Harry smiled at his large friend.

The whole house was filled with friends and family and a sense of happiness. And though everyone was worried about the trip to Godric's hollow they tried to push it from their minds for the rest of the evening. About an hour and a half into the party Draco found Hermione and pulled her upstairs for some privacy. He pushed her against a wall in their room and kissed her deeply. She responded immediately, feeling herself getting very turned on.

"I owe you my life twice now." he whispered in her ear. His voice was low and husky and it gave Hermione goosebumps. "I do love you." he told her.

"I love you too." she said softly. "Everything has happened so quickly. Love was the last thing on my mind."

"Mine too." he said kissing her neck and ear. "But fate must have had other plans for us."

"Oh…Draco." she moaned as he ran his hands over her back pulling her closer to him.

"I want you Hermione, don't say no. Not tonight. I love you so much." he said kissing her over and over wearing down her resistance.

"I want you just as much…but you know what I told you, how I was raised." she murmured.

"I know what you told me, but that was before. Before you knew how I felt." he said unbuttoning her blouse and kissing her chest. She inhaled deeply.

"Oh Merlin…" she moaned as he kissed her nipples and made his way down her stomach. She knew she was fighting a losing battle. Her body would not let her say no any longer. Her trembling hands removed her blouse completely and she led him over to her bed.

"Lock the door." she whispered. And Draco complied quickly. The sun was just setting giving the room a dimly lit glow. He pulled off his shirt and Hermione's eyes trailed over his body. Since she had been taking care of him he was no longer as thin, and he was regaining some tone. Her mouth felt extremely dry. He lay next to her and took her breast into his mouth suckling it lightly. She felt his hot breath on her skin. An open window on the opposite side of the room let a warm summer breeze play across her body. Draco removed what was left of her clothing and looked at her properly for the first time. His eyes went from her face to her breasts to her scant knickers that were left on her.

"You are so beautiful." he said. "How could I not have noticed it before?" He leaned in and kissed her stomach and made his way down pulling off her panties as he went.

Hermione's heart was beating out of her chest. And then suddenly she felt his breath on her thighs. She tensed up slightly but then relaxed as his mouth kissed and sucked places she didn't know existed. She moaned softly making him more determined to pleasure her. After what seemed like an eternity he kissed his way up her stomach and breasts until he reached her mouth.

"Did you…" he asked uncertainly. She nodded before pulling him down into a deep kiss. Draco pulled off his boxers and Hermione felt his hardness rub against her thigh. Her pulse quickened as she knew the pleasure and pain she was about to feel. He parted her legs with his hands and she inhaled deeply. This time there was not as much pain and much more pleasure. She didn't know if his previous actions had helped prepare her what was to come but she was thankful. Draco buried his head in her hair as he worked his hips in a rhythmic motion.

"Oh gods Hermione…I thought I would never see you again." Draco moaned in her ear.

"Mmmm…me too." she panted. His lips came crashing down on hers again. Kissing him was like breathing to her at that moment. She gasped for his touch. Smothered for his lips. His hands went behind her and lifted her hips up off the bed slightly. This change in position brought an earth shattering orgasm for her. He brought his lips down again on hers to stifle her scream before coming as well.

"Shhhh…" he whispered. "Lots of people downstairs."

Hermione giggled.

"Sorry." she said.

"Hey I don't mind, but some of the others might." he joked. "If it were really up to me I would have the whole neighborhood hear you screaming my name." Hermione scowled.

"Not modest at all. That's what I love about you." she said. "Of course it used to be what I hated about you as well. That Slytherin ego."

"You never lose some things. I guess I can live up to my Slytherin sex god title then eh?" he asked propping his body up on one elbow.

"I don't know about that…" she said. "they didn't _really_ call you that did they?" she asked curiously.

"No, but I called myself that." he grinned.

"Pathetic. True but pathetic." she grinned back.  
"Should we get back to the party?" He asked pulling on his shorts.

"I suppose. Only two days left to live a normal life." she said.

"Two days until we could be free." Draco replied.

Hermione wished she felt the same.


	18. Slumber Party

**

* * *

**

Slumber Party

The remainder of the party was a huge success. Food and drinks were plentiful and everyone was in high spirits. Draco and Hermione rejoined the party after their tryst to the giggles of Ginny and Luna. Her face blushed deeply as the two girls cornered her in the hallway away from the party.

"And where have you been young lady?" Ginny asked in a very good impression of Mrs. Weasley.

"None of your business Ginerva." Hermione replied back smiling.

"I bet I can guess." Luna said. "You were off snogging that dreamy Draco."

"I think she was off shagging him." Ginny said bluntly.

"Shhhh…" Hermione said. "Don't let anyone hear that."

"So it's true?" Ginny said. "Tell me everything. Your first time with Malfoy…was it everything you thought it would be?" she rambled.

"It wasn't my first time with him." Hermione admitted. "We…you know…before we went to Malfoy Manor the last time." Her face was flushed.

"You did? And you didn't tell me?" Ginny said smacking Hermione in the arm. Hermione smiled.

"Keep smacking me and I won't tell you anything. I don't want to talk now with so many people in the house. I have an idea though. Since we will all be sharing rooms with so many people in the house why don't the two of you bunk with me tonight and the boys can stay in Harry's room. We can put your parent's in the top bedroom since it is the biggest. Hagrid can have one of the bedrooms on the third floor. McGonagall can have the first floor bedroom. Remus and Tonks are sleeping in the last bedroom on the third floor."

"Don't you want to share with _Draco_?" Luna asked dreamily. Hermione smiled in the same dreamy way.

"Well…obviously I want to spend time with him, but I also need time with my friends." she blushed.

"And you will fill us in on all the juicy details?" Ginny asked.

"Anything you want." Hermione giggled before rejoining the party.

They told everyone of the sleeping arrangements they had worked out. Draco had scowled about sharing with three other guys but ultimately complied. The party ended a few hours later with everyone heading off to bed to get some well deserved rest. Ginny snuck upstairs to Hermione's room and set it up for a real girl's night in. She vanished both beds and conjured some sleeping bags and giant pillows. Hermione was bringing up some snacks from the kitchen. Luna seemed overly excited.

"I've never been invited to a slumber party." she told Hermione as she helped her carry the trays of snacks and drinks.

"Me either, unless you count Lavender Brown and Pavarti Patil gossiping in their beds until 5 in the morning at Hogwarts." Hermione said in a hushed voice, Luna giggled.

Ginny was sitting on the floor waiting for the two other girls to return. She was dressed in pink pajamas and her hair was in a bun. Hermione was similarly dressed in blue pajamas and Luna had some kind of weird silver ones on with glowing stars.

"Got all the junk food for us." Hermione said announcing her entrance into the room. Luna followed and plopped onto the floor next to Ginny.

"So?" Ginny asked, one eyebrow raised.

"So?" Hermione replied coyly.

"Details woman!" Ginny said excitedly.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Do I ask you for details on your nighttime visits to Harry's room?" Hermione joked.

"Well there was this one time that I snuck into his dorm at Hogwarts…" she started.

"Gross…I was joking. I don't want to hear about my two best friends getting it on." she said holding her hand out at arms length.

"You know you do." Ginny said in reply. "Anyway, come on…out with it."

"Ugh. What do you want to know nosey?" Hermione huffed.

"How is it going with Malfoy? Must be pretty good." Ginny grinned.

"It is." Hermione blushed. "Better than you can imagine."

Ginny giggled.

"Who would have thought it?" Ginny said. Luna smiled in her enigmatic sort of way.

"Not to change the subject,' Hermione started knowing full well that was her intention. "I saw Ron talking to you tonight, what did he say?" Ginny focused her attention on Luna now.

"Well, it was all very strange…" she started. "He just sort of came up to me and acted like he had never seen me in all his life. But we talked for a bit and he asked me out on a date. A real date!" she said excitedly. "I have not been on a real date since Harry took me to Slughorn's Christmas party as friends."

"Well I am happy for you." Hermione said. "Ron is a wonderful person, and I think you two will be very happy." Luna smiled again. Ginny made a gagging noise.

"Ickle Ronnie…blah!"

Hermione broke out in a fit of the giggles eventually throwing popcorn at Ginny to make her stop the vomiting faces she was making.

"Stop Ginny…" she giggled.

Meanwhile down the hall, the four boys were crammed into a room meant for two. Four twin beds were lined up unceremoniously along each wall leaving only a narrow walkway for them to get to their beds. Draco was unhappy about spending the night away from Hermione. And he could tell that Harry was none too thrilled about not having Ginny in with him either. Ron was sitting on the bed lost in a daydream.

"What's on your mind mate?" Harry finally asked him breaking his concentration.

"Oh, just thinking of how weird it was that the girl in that mirror was Luna. She looked great didn't she?" he asked hoping for reassurance of his choice from the other males in the room.

"Yeah, she did." Harry said. Neville nodded as well. Ron looked at Draco but got no response.

Harry noticed.

"What's on your mind?" he asked Draco.

"Lots of things, mostly the trip to Godric's hollow. But also Hermione and my mum." he said honestly.

"The trip will go off without a hitch. I know it will." Harry said.

"I hope so." Neville finally said quietly.

"With everyone going we should have plenty of protection. If only Dumbledore were here with us." Ron said tactlessly. Draco looked away quickly.

"Sorry mate." Ron apologized. "I didn't mean to bring up…"

"It's fine. His death was my fault whether I said the curse or not. I know everyone thinks it anyway." Draco muttered.

"I don't think it." Harry said. "I was there. You had a choice and you didn't kill him. You could not have overpowered Snape and the rest of the Death Eaters without dying yourself. And if you had died we would not be this far in our quest. So don't worry about it anymore."

"It's hard not to." he said his voice trailing off at the end.

"I just hope everyone comes through this safely." Ron said. "I asked Luna out on a date." His ears turned very red.

"Me too. I think I am going to ask Ginny to marry me." he said looking at Ron waiting for his customary blow up.

"Marry? My sister? I think she's a bit young." Ron grinned.

"Well it's just an idea, keep it quiet okay?" Harry reminded them.

"I would love to get married and have a family." Neville said quietly.

"Me too." Draco said without thinking. The other three looked at him oddly. "What?" he asked.

"You? Married? You are not serious." Ron said. "To Hermione?"

"Well, I'm not that far ahead yet, but yeah. I love her…and that is saying something."

"I'm glad." Harry replied. "Hermione needs someone in her life. I have a feeling I kind of kept her from finding someone by always dragging her here or there. Sending her off to South America and such."

"Sending her there saved my life. Regretting it?" Draco joked.

"No." Harry said quickly.

"Let's just get some sleep." Ron said pulling the covers over his feet.

"I wonder what the girls are talking about." Harry mused aloud.

"Knowing Hermione probably tactics for Godric's Hollow." Ron said. Draco gave a hearty laugh.

"You two are really slow when it comes to Hermione. She is not all books all the time." Draco told them.

Ron and Harry looked at him oddly. Neville looked up but said nothing.

"They are probably down there gabbing about us." Draco told them. "They are girls after all."

"No way. Not Hermione and certainly not Ginny. She wouldn't tell anyone our private business." Harry said nervously.

"Don't be so sure." Draco said smiling mischievously.

"I have some extendable ears from Fred and George. Let's go down and listen in." Ron said excitedly. Draco laughed but didn't want Ron and Harry to hear anything private about him and Hermione.

"On one condition. If you hear anything it stays between us, agreed?

"Good idea." Harry replied, relishing not having Ron hear about him and his baby sister.

"Let's go. Neville, you coming?"

"No, no one is going to talk about me." he muttered. "You guys go ahead."

The three boys tiptoed down the hall and stepped lightly to avoid the creaking floorboards. They heard large amounts of giggling coming from the girl's room. Ron threw the extendable ears and they hit the door with no trouble.

"And then…" they heard Ginny's voice, "Harry starts rubbing me and it tickled but I tried to keep a straight face so as not to ruin the mood, but it didn't last for long. I started laughing…"

The other two girls erupted in giggles. Ron glared at Harry who was not looking straight at him.

"And then Harry got really mad for about a minute…" Ginny laughed. "Does that ever happen to you Hermione?"

"Uh…well Draco kind of did something…it felt good but it tickled at the same time. He put his mouth…"

Draco pulled the ears away from the door quickly only to find Harry and Ron both glowering at him.

"Look we agreed…" he said swallowing hard. "Look what your sister was saying about Harry!' he pointed.

Ron returned his gaze to Harry.

"You had sex with Hermione?" Harry said loudly attempting to get Ron's attention back to Draco.. Ron looked back at Draco.

"SHHHH…" Draco whispered. "look, let's just listen."

The three boys threw the flesh colored string back at the door and waited.

"It was wonderful." Hermione finished.

"That's sweet." Luna said.

"Yeah, I never thought Malfoy could be so nice. I'm happy for you 'Mione." Ginny told her.

"Thanks, I wish I could look at the future. But right now all I can do is take it one day at a time." Hermione said sadly.

"Yeah, me too." Ginny said.

"I would like to live long enough to have a first date…" Luna said dreamily. "I think I could grow to like Ron a lot."

Out in the hall the boys felt very guilty for listening in so they packed up the extendable ears and walked quietly back to their room.

"So Luna is a…you know." Ron whispered to Harry when they got in their room.

"I suppose." Harry said lying on this back with his arms behind his head.

"One day left…let's get some sleep." Draco said tucking himself into bed missing Hermione's body next to him terribly.

Meanwhile Hermione, Ginny and Luna were drifting off to sleep on the sleeping bags and giant pillows. The room was deafly quiet, only the sounds of the wind blowing through the window offset the silence. Hermione's mind was racing with thoughts of Draco and the future she could envision between them. As her tired brain fell into a peaceful sleep she began to dream…

* * *

_A pale blue house with a white picket fence came into focus. The house had a rather large porch with two wooden rocking chairs blowing in the summer breeze on it. Two blonde children, one boy and one girl were playing with a large rubber ball on the front lawn. She saw herself come out of the front door with another blonde baby girl on her hip. She called for the children to come in and wash up for dinner_

"_Brennan, Emily, come in and wash your hands. Dinner will be ready in a moment and your father will be home in less than a minute." she called to them. They dropped the ball and ran top speed up the front steps and into the house. _

"_Slow down." she said to them as they flew past. She turned to the baby. "Roslyn, what am I going to do with your brother and sister?" she asked softly. The baby giggled and cooed. She walked back into the house and put the baby in a playpen. Hermione walked into the kitchen and with a wave of her wand finished dinner. Pot roast, potatoes and green beans. She set the table and heard a large pop from the living room. _

"_Daddy's home!" she heard Brennan yell before the sound of two sets of feet came running down the steps._

"_Daddy, daddy!" her children shouted at their father. He scooped them up into his arms and showered them with affection. Affection he missed out on as a child from his own father. Hermione walked up to him and kissed him on his pale cheek._

"_Hello love." she said. "Hard day at the office?" He smiled at her._

"_Yes," Draco said, "brutal." He sat down at the table. The two children followed suit._

_Hermione put the baby into a highchair next to her and set the food on the table._

"_Daddy," Brennan started. "when will I be old enough to go to Hogwarts?" _

"_Oh, I think it will be at least five years son." he said messing up his son's hair._

"_You have to be eleven." Emily said with the infamous Malfoy smirk. "That means I can go in three years."_

"_Why does Emily get to go first?" Brennan whined. _

"_Because she is older." Hermione told him. "Now start eating your dinner or no quidditch practice afterwards." _

_Brennan began to eat despite his sister teasing him about going to school first._

_When dinner was finished Hermione cleaned it up and Draco took the kids outside to play quidditch in the yard. She put the baby to sleep after a quick bath and was reading on the couch when her other two kids came running in._

"_Go upstairs and get ready for bed, we'll be up to tuck you in in a minute." Draco said before making his way over to the couch where his wife was sitting._

"_Hey." he said the corners of his mouth upturned in a smile. "Alone at last." He leaned in and kissed her softly momentarily taking her attention away from the book._

"_Hey back." she said responding to his kiss hungrily. _

"_Once the kids are asleep how about opening that wine we brought back from Italy?" he suggested huskily in her ear._

"_I was saving that for when Ginny and Harry stopped over but if you want to ruin our dinner party next week, be my guest." she grinned. Draco scowled. _

"_We had better go check on them and get them into bed. You know how they like to dawdle." Hermione said sleepily._

"_Okay, let's tuck them in and get to bed ourselves." he grinned. Hermione rolled her eyes and got up off of the couch. They walked up the stairs hand in hand before she heard a scream.

* * *

_

Hermione woke up with a start sweating from head to toe. Ginny looked up sleepily.

"'Mione what's the matter?" she asked.

"Nothing. Just a dream." she said her heart still racing. But Hermione couldn't go back to sleep. She couldn't get the sound of that scream out of her mind.


	19. A Proposal

Disclaimer; I own nothing in this story...sadly JK Rowling does.

A/N Hello, another chapter down and ready for your reviews! I know it's a bit shorter but I will make it up to you next chappie. Happy reading and don't forget to review!

* * *

**A proposal**

The next day passed quickly with no mention from the boys about what they had heard and no mention from Hermione about her ominous dream. They went about their day as if it were any other, even thought the tension in the house was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

After dinner that night Lupin sent everyone up to their rooms to pack a small bag to take.

"Just pack a change of clothes." he told them. "Nothing that will weigh you down."

Up in her room Hermione put her things in a small bag, and sighed heavily. The dream she had the previous night had been on her mind the whole day and she had not shared it with anyone. It was so real. The scream she heard the moment before she woke up had curdled her blood. Just as she was closing her bag she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in." she said.

Draco entered the room carefully and closed it behind him.

"Everything alright?" he asked cautiously.

"Yes…I was just finishing up." she said not looking directly at him.

"You seem distant, was it something I said?" He asked.

"No…" she said biting her lip. She debated on telling him about the dream, but first she would have to own up about her glance in the mirror of Erised.

"Well then I'll just go take a shower." he said, looking into her eyes attempting to catch a bit of what she was thinking.

"Mmmm…alright." she said, her head still lost in her own thoughts. Draco sighed heavily before making his way down the hall and into the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and stripped down. Slowly he turned the shower knob until the water was nice and hot, just the way he liked it. Steam began to fill the room blurring his image in the mirror over the sink. The hours left before they were to leave for Godric's hollow were ticking away and knew this might be his last proper shower.

"Might be my last night here." he said aloud looking at his distorted image. He pulled the shower curtain back and stepped inside. The hot water hit his back relaxing him almost instantly. It ran over his head drowning any thoughts at that moment. The water simply washed it all away. He lathered his body and his hair the clean musky scent of the soap helping to clear his mind. When he was done he put on a clean pair of boxers and headed back towards the room he was going to share with Hermione. She was still sitting on the floor, lost in her thoughts.

"I'm going to bed." he said flatly.

"No, wait. I'm sorry." she said turning her head to meet his steely eyes. "I am just so…well, worried."

"It's understandable. This is big. Bigger than any of us, besides Potter that is, realize." Draco said soothingly.

"I don't know if I can bear to lose anyone. Harry, Ron, Ginny…you." she said softly. Her cinnamon eyes had become glassy with tears. Draco said nothing, but pulled her close into a warm embrace. Her cheek lay against his bare chest. He felt her tears slide down his skin.

"I can't promise anything Hermione. But you are all I have anymore. I don't know what I would do if something happened to you." he told her as his hand stroked her wild curls. This seemed to upset her even more as her sobbing increased.

"I don't know what to say Hermione. Please don't cry." he told her as his hand pulled her face upwards towards his. His eyes calmed her instantly. She stopped crying and held his gaze feeling an intense sense of peace. She took a deep breath before tilting her mouth upwards to meet his soft lips. His tongue grazed her lips as she opened her mouth allowing him full entrance. She kissed him for what seemed like hours but in reality was just seconds before pulling away at the sound of someone approaching the door.

"Hermione? Are you in there?" Harry's voice called from the hallway.

"Uh, yeah Harry, come on in." she said straightening her hair and shirt and wiping her eyes.

"Could you come downstairs? Remus is having a quick word with everyone." he said eyeing Hermione's red eyes. His brow furrowed as he looked back at Draco, thinking he was the cause of her tears.

"Everything alright here 'Mione?' he asked.

"It's fine Harry. I am just worried about the trip." she told him.

"Okay, well both of you come downstairs." Harry said before leaving the room.

"We better go see what is going on." Hermione said. Draco nodded before kissing her forehead softly and helping her up off of the floor. He threw on a shirt quickly.

They left the room and headed down the rickety steps before finding their way into the sitting room where everyone else was already gathered.

"Ah, Hermione and Draco…" Remus started. "Good everyone is here. I just wanted to say that we will be leaving at 8am tomorrow. We will be apperating to a glen just south of Godric's hollow, and we will have to walk the rest of the way. Muggle clothing is required; after all it is a muggle village. We don't want to stand out too much…" he said glancing at Hagrid who stood out wherever he went. "There is an inn in the middle of town that we can stay at if need be. Our first priority will be to get to Lily and James' house and search it for Helga Hufflepuff's goblet. Then we will try to find Voldemort. And from there, anything goes." he said looking at Harry who then stood to speak.

"For those of you who don't know we have reason to believe that he is hold up in a small cabin near the edge of the woods on the west side of Godric's hollow. If we find the cup, the next thing would be to lure his snake, Nagini, away from the cabin and kill it. Dumbledore believed that Voldemort made her into a Horcrux, and I have no reason to doubt him." The rest of the room was paying rapt attention and nodding in agreement.

"If we manage all of that, Voldemort will be mortal. And then he is fair game for me to kill him. I want your word that none of you will try to interfere. I am going to finish him. Period. End of story. Everyone okay with that?"

Everyone again nodded, in a more somber way. Tears were falling from Ginny's eyes.

"I don't want this night to end on that. We have reason to celebrate. We have hope…we have each other." he walked over to Ginny and grabbed her hand.

"Ginerva Molly Weasley, I love you. When all this is finished would you do the honor of being my wife? Marry me Ginny?" he said pulling a beautiful diamond and peridot ring out of his pocket. Ginny stood there silent for a moment, tears steady streaming down her face. She opened her mouth to speak but Ron interrupted.

"Mum, Dad…she's only 17. She can't get married!"

Hermione whacked him on the shoulder.

"Ron you prat!' Ginny said still holding Harry's hand.

"I didn't mean now Ron…" Harry said. "I just want to show your sister how much I love her…just in case."

"I will Harry. I'll marry you." Ginny said through her teary eyes. "And I know you love me. And I love you. And both of us will come through this just fine. We will have a long time to plan our future." she hugged him tightly.

"Oh Arthur" Molly sighed. "Our only daughter…" tears were now flowing down her face. Arthur Weasley walked over to shake Harry's hand. Ron shrugged his shoulders and did the same. Hermione was also moved to tears, as her emotions were already fragile that night.

"I'm so happy for you Harry." she said hugging him.

The mood of the house changed dramatically after Harry's proposal. Somehow trips to Godric's hollow, Horcruxes and Voldemort seemed less important than the happiness of two order members. After half an hour or so Remus ushered everyone out of the room and up to bed. Everyone was ignoring the previous sleeping arrangements and just sleeping wherever that night. Harry outright refused to spend the night away from his fiancé. Luna, Neville, and Ron decided to sleep in the sitting room and agreed to go right to bed after a stern warning from Remus not to stay up all night.

"Everyone get some rest. Tomorrow it begins." he said taking Tonk's hand and going up to their room.

Within minutes everyone had taken Lupin's advice and headed off to bed.

Hermione got ready for bed quickly and headed back towards the bedroom. Draco was sitting on his bed looking out the window again into the starry sky. Mists of clouds clung to the moons bright light somewhat shadowing its presence. Only bits of inky sky were visible and it seemed doomed to rain. A candle on the nightstand flickered as the cool breeze drifted in the open window. The flames light seemed to dance on Draco's pale chest. Hermione's white cotton gown swirled around her legs as she went to sit next to Draco on the bed. He glanced at her as she sat down and smiled slightly.

"Hey." he said "Ready for bed?"

"I suppose. Not really tired though. I know I should go to sleep but I just don't know if I can." she replied.

"Well," he said smirking "I could think of things to tire you out…"

Hermione hit him with a pillow from the bed.

"You!" she said. "Is that all you think of?"

"Yes." he said in a wicked voice.

"I guess honesty is the best policy." Hermione grinned. "But I do think we should try to rest. Who knows what tomorrow will bring."

"You are right, as usual." he said. "Goodnight. Sleep tight. I love you."

He pulled her into bed with him and under the cool sheets. He lay behind her spooning her, his heart beating into her back. They both fell asleep quickly relishing what might be the last night spent together.

Morning broke and everyone was up and ready by 7. Molly made breakfast, though no one felt much like eating.

"Eat up." Molly said. "You will need your strength."

Everyone pretended to eat but merely picked at the food. By 8 the group was lined up in the sitting room waiting for Harry.

Harry was up in his room pacing. His heart felt like it was in his throat. Everything was riding on him, and he had never been more scared in his life. He looked up at the ceiling and spoke.

"Mum, dad I know you can hear me. I don't know if I can do this. Everyone downstairs is waiting for me, depending on me and I am scared. Heroes aren't supposed to be scared are they? Gods how I wish I could go back in time and change things, have Voldemort mark someone else. I don't want to be 'the chosen one'. I don't want to be 'the boy who lived.' And yet I am, and no amount of time turners on earth can take me that far back. I know you will be with me during all this. All I can pray for is that no one I care about gets hurt, I don't know how much more of that I can take."

A single tear slid down his cheek and he wiped it away quickly. He didn't want the others to know how frightened he was. He took a deep breath and picked up his wand off of the side table. He walked down the steps and into the sitting room.

"Let's go." he said to the others.


	20. Road Trip

**Disclaimer; I own nothing at all...nothing I tell you!**

**A/N-Just a quick note...I know some have said that Harry's parent's house was completely destroyed when Voldy attacked them but I read it a different way when Hagrid said he grabbed him from the rubble. I took it as he grabbed him from the rubble of the room. In this story the house is mostly in tact. I love you all! Happy reading and don't forget to review!

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Road Trip

Remus showed them the location they were apperating to on a map and then counted;

"One…two…three…" and instantly the group disappeared from number 12 Grimmauld place and reappeared in a misty glen just 10 miles south of Godric's hollow. A heavy fog hung over the knee high weeds and brush that surrounded them.

"Everyone make it?" Harry called out. The group looked around at each other and then back at Harry nodding the whole time.

"Good." he said. "Now try to stay together. Hagrid, I want you to bring up the rear of the group."

"Anything ya want 'arry." he said proudly. He had been given a new wand and reinstated as a wizard so that he could help out. McGonagall had been tutoring him.

Hermione stayed close to Draco as the group moved silently through the trees and into a vast forest. The minuscule sun that had been peeking through the dark grey clouds was immediately lost as they entered the woods. No path existed so they fought their way through the thick foliage. Remus and Harry tore through the thick vines and brambles with their wands.

"Reducto, reducto." was all Hermione heard as they made their way through the woods. Every footstep, every movement echoed eerily. Miles and miles of walking in silence finally ended in a clearing at the other end of the woods.

"How much farther Harry?" Ron grumbled. "We've been walking forever."

"Hush Ronald." Mrs. Weasley said in a low voice. "We will be there when we are there."

"Shhhh…" Ginny said from the front of the group.

"Just a few miles to go." Remus said. "It's just on the other side of the hill there." He pointed to a huge hill about a mile off.

"Oh, yeah. Just a few miles." Ron said sarcastically under his breath. Mrs. Weasley heard him and batted him on the back of the head.

"Ow!" he near shouted.

"Shhhh…" Ginny said again turning around and giving her brother a very harsh look.

Soon the thick woods gave way to a vast meadow filled with wildflowers and high grasses. The group moved silently through. Just speaking in whispers when the need arose. The summer sun was fast rising in the summer sky was hidden behind the thick grey clouds. That didn't stop it from becoming increasingly warm. Some of the members were wiping sweat from their brows as they walked. After an hour they reached the hill that stood between them and Godric's hollow. Godric's hollow was in the middle of a valley and surrounded by high hills and thick evergreen groves. They started to walk up the makeshift path and soon realized that the hill was higher and steeper than previously thought.

"Jeez" Hermione blurted as she stopped briefly to catch her breath. She looked around at her fellow order members. Everyone was having a hard time climbing the hill. Especially McGonagall. She was leaning against a tree looking noticeably worn.

"Harry." Hermione called out. "Can we take a rest for just a moment?"

"No time 'Mione." he said as he trekked on.

"Harry, look around!" she said motioning to the tired group. Harry stopped and turned around for a moment. His eye caught McGonagall looking as if she were about to pass out.

"Fine, ten minutes. Then we need to move. Let's get up here in this group of trees." he said pointing about fifty feet ahead. They walked into it and sat on the cool green grass beneath the evergreens and maples. Hermione leaned against Draco's chest and took a deep breath.

"I am beat." she sighed. Draco nodded as he arched his back to stretch out. The group was still fairly quiet except for Harry who was looking at his watch impatiently.

"Why couldn't we apparate closer?" Ron whined.

"Because Ron," Remus started. "That area was the most likely not to be inhabited this time of morning. We couldn't just 'pop' into a full Muggle village and say 'Here we are!'"

Some of the others giggled at that thought. Harry looked the most annoyed.

"Okay, times up. We are almost there." he said.

The group groaned in unison as they got up and stretched before heading farther up the hill. Hermione noticed a strange fog at the top of the hill as they got closer.

"What is that?" she whispered to Mrs. Weasley.

"I don't know dear." she said with her brow furrowed "But I'm afraid we are about to find out."

Hermione silently nodded and took Draco's hand in hers, intertwining their fingers tightly. Draco looked at her face, sweat beading at her forehead.

"Something wrong?" he asked her, giving her hand a quick squeeze of reassurance.

"That mist, at the top of the hill. I've seen it somewhere before but I can't remember where." she said in her most worried voice.

"I'm sure its just fog." Draco said, not believing for a moment that it was just fog.

"Yeah." Hermione replied.

Soon they were near the top and the group couldn't see more than a few feet in front of them. The mist that held the air was so thick that it clung to their clothes and bodies as they walked through it. The apex of the hill yielded a faint view of Godric's hollow. It was so obscured by mist that the tiny rooftops below were barely visible.

"Is that it?" Harry asked Remus.

"Yes." He said somberly. "But something has beaten us here."

Just then Harry heard horrible screaming and fell to his knees placing his hands over his ears.

"Harry, are you okay?" Ron asked rushing to his friend's side.

"It's them." Harry said, his voice trembling. "Dementors."

The group looked through the mist and saw a horrible sight. Thousands upon thousands of Dementors gliding around the hills and the edges of town. Hermione tried to muffle her horrified gasp but it echoed eerily through the air.

"I knew I had seen that mist before. The Dementors are breeding." she said horrified.

"How are we…" Harry started to ask Remus but his finger went to his mouth to silence Harry.

"Shhhh…just for a second." Remus said. "I need to see a way into the village." The group was dead silent as he looked down the hillside and spied a small stream and a stone bridge. Only a few Dementors were around and he figured the 13 of them could fend them off long enough to get as far as the Potter's house.

"Alright, we are going this way towards that stream. Wands at the ready and use your Patronus when you see a Dementor. Let's go. And stay close to one another."

The already small gap between the order members closed even further as they made their way down the steep hill towards the stream. Walking downhill became more and more difficult as the rocky hillside became more and more unstable. Hermione found herself hanging on to Draco to keep from tumbling down the hill and into a crowd of Dementors. They moved silently and swiftly towards their destination finally reaching it after about half an hour. The rippling water made the only sound in the unusually quiet town. They stepped through the stream unnoticed and made it to the other side. The mist was even thicker down in the valley and it became even harder to see.

"Everyone still with us?" Remus asked in a hushed voice. Hagrid counted and replied.

"Yeah."

Remus nodded and walked on the other side of the stone bridge. The Dementors began to get excited sensing new emotions were approaching.

The sight of the tiny town was one of despair. Windows were boarded up in hopes of keeping the invisible menace out. Muggles could not see Dementors, but only feel their presence.

"I don't think we can pass all of these Remus." Harry said nervously.

"We don't have to." Remus said pointing at the sky. Thousands of Dementors fled towards a dark wooded area at the edge of town.

"What happened?" Hermione asked. "Where did they all go?"

"I'm not quite sure." McGonagall said. "But whatever happened thanks the gods."

"It was like something spooked them." Harry said.

"Called them is more like it." Remus said. "I have a feeling someone knows we are here."

Shivers went down Hermione's spine when she heard that.

"What now?" Ron asked eyeing the boarded up windows and doors. "I don't think we will be staying at any inn."

"The sky is clearing." Luna said pointing to the fading mist.

Soon muggles were peeking their heads out of doors and smiling and cheering that the fog had finally lifted.

"Strange weather." an older woman said as she left her front door. "That fog has been here for weeks. I was so depressed I had lost hope of ever seeing the sun again."

"Yes, very strange." Remus said. "Can you point us in the direction of the Inn?" he asked the lady. "We will be checking in later after a short walk about the village."

"It's about two streets up to the right. Can't miss it." she said with a half smile that looked as if it pained her face.

"Okay, now where is my parent's house Remus?" Harry asked looking around.

"It's on the edge of town. " He opened up a small piece of paper and read.

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**The Potters are located**

**At number 7 Roslyn lane**

**Godric's Hollow

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**

"What is that?" Harry asked quietly.

"The exact piece of paper Wormtail gave to Voldemort when he betrayed your parents. Don't ask how it came to be in my possession."

"Dumbledore…" Harry muttered in a sad sort of way. The piece of paper passed between all the members of the order so that the house could be seen by all when they arrived.

Near the back of the group Hermione was hanging onto Draco's hand very tightly. She would never admit how frightened this trip had made her, but Draco being there was very reassuring.

"I wonder how far we are from Harry's house." she whispered to him. He shrugged and gave her hand a squeeze.

The group followed Harry and Remus down a long paved road and onto a dirt road. Hermione looked at the street sign that was on the corner.

"Roslyn lane…odd." she said to herself.

"What's odd?" Draco asked. She had not yet mentioned the dream she had with the three beautiful children.

"Uh…nothing." she said quickly. Draco looked at her suspiciously.

"Out with it Granger." he said playfully poking her in the side.

"Well, the other night I had a strange dream about us, about our future, about…erm, our children." she said in a nervous sort of way.

"And…? He asked shocked, but keeping his composure.

"And the babies name was Roslyn." she told him.

"Okay, I'm still not seeing it."

"The street name." she said pointing.

"Oh." he countered.

"It was just coincidence. I don't believe in all that dreams telling the future bollocks." she snorted, only half convinced of what she had said.

After walking a bit Harry called out that they were nearly there. Hermione looked at the numbered houses. Fifteen, thirteen, eleven, nine and finally seven. Number seven was on the end of a dead end quiet street. Abandoned for over 17 years the sad ruins of the two story yellow wood sided house stood as a grim reminder of what had occurred there one Halloween night. The sight of it took Hermione's breath away. She had heard the story many times. It had been re-told to nearly every wizard born child. James and Lily Potter hiding with tiny baby Harry in a house on the outskirts of Godric's Hollow. They were betrayed by their secret-keeper and Voldemort showed up that night to kill baby Harry. James had tried to stop them and died trying to save his wife and child. Voldemort caught up with Lily and Harry in his nursery. He gave Lily a chance, even if it was a ploy, to live if she would just give him Harry. Lily refused and shielded Harry from his Avada Kedavra. Lily fell to the floor. Voldemort turned his attention to Harry but something went wrong. The curse rebounded on him and he lost his body, only existing as a parasite. But seeing it. Being here. It chilled her to the bone.

Heavy ivy and weeds had grown over the broken down home. Shingles were falling off of the roof and the once beautiful front porch was rotted and collapsing. Shrubs that once bloomed with flowers were now tangled, gnarled branches that kept intruders at bay. Harry walked up to the house and stared. Even thought it was the middle of the day a gloomy aura surrounded the place. Hermione squeezed Draco's hand before releasing it and walking up to Harry, Ron followed putting his arm around Harry. Hermione grabbed his hand tightly.

"It's okay Harry. We're here." she told him. She saw a tiny glisten near his eye.

"Do you want to go in now?" Ron asked. Harry wiped his eye and nodded quickly before the rest of the group noticed.

"Do you think it's safe to enter?" Hermione said looking at the desperate state of the porch.

"It's fine." Harry confirmed clearing his throat. "Let's go in."


	21. The Potter's house

**Disclaimer; As always, don't own it. **

**A/N I know, I know. In Harry Potter and the SS it says Hagrid removed Harry from the rubble of the Potter's house. But I am taking it as he removed Harry from the rubble of Harry's room. The rubble of the house didn't work for my story line so I'm sorry if it's not exactly cannon. Happy reading and don't forget to review!**

**p.s. For all of you who read my new story 'Beautiful' and reviewed- THANK YOU SO MUCH! Almost 50 reviews for one chapter! You guys rock! Thank you again and again.

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The Potter's House

The ancient wood of the porch creaked under the trio's feet. The other order members followed one at a time up the path, waiting patiently at the foot of the steps. Harry grasped the brass doorknob firmly and turned it. It was unlocked. As soon as Harry entered the house a musty smell entered his nose. Dust rose from every footstep as they made their way into the living room. Furniture was covered in layer upon layer of dust and grime and heavy cobwebs hung from every surface. Hermione sneezes several times breaking the silence of the house.

"Sorry." she whispered. The spacious living room emptied into a long hallway. The house was dark from all the dust.

"Lumos!" Harry said and everyone else followed suit lighting the old house very brightly. The hallway had several doors. The first one on the right was a small bathroom. The next on the left was a closet and the last was the kitchen. The trio entered the kitchen leaving footprints in the grimy black and white tile. Harry took a look around and imagined his mum cooking dinner for him in that very room. He could almost hear her humming sweetly as she stirred the pot with her wand. He quickly shook it off and cleared his head.

"In the mirror the cup was in the nursery. Behind my broken crib." he said firmly.

"Upstairs." Hagrid said pointing up the steps that were at the end of the hall. The wooden spiral staircase led them upwards, every step creaking under the massive weight of Hagrid. It seemed to take ages to climb up, wallpaper fragments peeling and hitting random order members on the head as they walked. Harry, Hermione and Ron got to the top first and were met with pieces of broken furniture and debris. They stepped over them carefully making their way past the first door. It was open and it was another bathroom. Harry opened the next door and found it to be his parent's old bedroom. The bed was still made perfectly, albeit covered in dust. Dead flowers in a vase still sat on the dresser against the wall. Harry retreated quickly visibly upset. The last door, the half broken door. The door with the most broken furniture against it. The door that blew back and forth in the breeze coming from that bedroom.

"That's it." Harry said quietly. "I'll go in alone."  
"No!" Hermione said. "Ron and I swore we would be with you every step of the way. We aren't going to back down now."

"Yeah mate. It's the three of us."

"Fine." Harry said pushing the broken door open and walking in his former nursery. The wall at the far end had a huge hole in it leading to outside. The edges of the hole were blackened and mold from the years of rain was growing up the remainder of the wall. Harry could just make out the wallpaper. Blue with tiny yellow stars. The constant sunlight had faded it so that it was just barely visible. Cobwebs invaded this room as well, along with leaves and broken tree branches from the tree outside the window. A wind blew through the crack whipping leaves across the room. Harry's footsteps echoed across the hardwood floor as he walked towards the remnants of his crib. White washed wooden crib slats lay broken across the far end of the room near the break in the wall. He kneeled down in front of the crib, his hand grazing a singed area of the wooden planks directly in front of his crib.

"I guess this is where…" he said breaking off slightly. The rest of the group stared, sympathetic looks upon their faces. Hermione knelt down as well, putting her arm around his shoulders.

"Harry…do you want Ron or I to look?" she asked in a soothing voice.

"No. I just…I just wanted to catch a feeling. You know…of my mum. The cup should be over there." he said standing up and walking towards the pile of broken crib slats. Harry tossed them out of the way. Hermione walked over to Draco and gripped his hand. He turned and smiled at her.

"I'm so glad you are here." she whispered to him.

"Me too…" he started.

"I'VE GOT IT!" Harry yelled standing up quickly with a silver goblet in his hand. A roar erupted from the crowd. Hugs were exchanged between all and Ginny ran up to kiss Harry on the lips. He responded, for a moment forgetting about Mr. & Mrs. Weasley standing there. Ron made a coughing noise to bring Harry back to reality.

"Are you sure that is it?" Hermione asked him. "No one replaced it with a fake goblet." she smirked.

"This is it. I'm sure of it." he said turning the cup over and examining the badger engraving on the opposite side.

"Well?" Ron asked.

"Well what?" Harry asked.

"Well what are you waiting for?" Ron said.

"Erm…nothing I guess." Harry replied coming back to reality. He took a deep breath and muttered something as he grasped the goblet by the stem. A blinding light filled the room before the goblet disappeared into a billion pieces that seemed to evaporate as they settled on the dusty floor.

"Good gods, lets go." Ron said. "I'm starving." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Tactless." she replied. "Do you want a minute alone Harry?"

"No, I'm coming now. Orchideous!" he said pointing his wand and making pink, red and white roses erupt from the end. He placed them on the singed area of the hardwood floor.

"I love you mum." he said quietly.

A soft breeze blew across his forehead whipping his hair around his face.

"Ok. Let's go."

The order marched down the steps and down the hall. Something caught Hermione's eye. A wand. It was made of willow and about 10 inches long. It was lying at the base of a china cabinet that was in the far end of the living room.

"Harry!" she called out holding it up.

"By the gods 'Arry, It's your mum's wand!" Hagrid said shocked.

Harry walked over to where Hermione was standing and took the swishy willow wand out of her hand. He put it to his nose and inhaled trying to grasp his mother's scent. A faint smell of lavender filled his nose.

"It is hers." he said. "She's here, somehow, her spirit anyway." a smile played across his face.

"Thank you 'Mione." Harry said grabbing her for a big hug.

"You're welcome!" she smiled.

"Now I know we will succeed. I know we will defeat him. My parents are looking out for us." he said as he walked out the front door.

The sun had made a full appearance in the tiny village now. Stray leaves blew down the dirt road that lead back to the town. They had decided to get a bite to eat at the Inn and maybe rest so that they would be in full form when they went hunting for Nagini. The group entered the town square and found the inn quickly. Remus went in first and walked up to the front desk.

A small dark haired woman walked up to the counter and eyed the strange group up and down.

"Can I help you?" she asked suspiciously.

"Uh, yes. We reserved six rooms for two nights. It may be longer." he said slightly nervous "Under the name of Lupin."

The little woman looked through a book, licking her finger as she turned the pages. Her eyes scanned the tiny writing until she found the names.

"Ah yes, six rooms. Here are the keys." she said handing Remus six rusty looking keys. "Rooms five through ten. Up the stairs and to the right. Everything you need should be there. Bathroom is at the end of the hall." she said. "How will you be paying, cash, check or charge?"

"Cash." Harry piped up handing the woman several bills of muggle money. "Thank you." he said smiling, although the woman's eyes were following Hagrid's every move. Obviously wondering if he would even fit up the narrow steps. He had to go sideways but he made it.

"Is there anywhere to eat here?" Ron asked the woman.

"Kitchen is open until 8." the woman said. "Down the hall over here." she motioned.

"Great, I'm starved." Ron said rubbing his stomach. "We've been walking for hours."

"What brings you to Godric's hollow?" she asked curiously.

"Nature hike." Hermione said quickly. "And we have a full day of it tomorrow over in the woods on the edge of town."

"I would stay away from there." the woman warned. "Lots of strange things happen by those woods. That mist and the strangest calls and howls. I would not go into those woods." she said sternly.

"Oh, it's okay. We are experienced hikers. We won't have any trouble." she giggled as she walked up the steps.

Remus had booked six rooms for them. One for him and Tonks, one for Mr. & Mrs. Weasley, one for professor McGonagall, one for Hagrid, one for the boys, and one for the girls. Neville, Ron, Harry and Draco in one room and Hermione, Luna and Ginny in the last. None of the younger members were happy about this except maybe Neville. Harry of course wanted to be with Ginny, and Draco desperately wanted to sleep next to Hermione. So Draco went up to Harry to try to work out a deal.

"Potter." he whispered. "Oi, Potter come here."

Harry turned around.

"Hmmm? What Malfoy?"

"What about you and Ginny and me and Hermione sharing and sticking everyone else in the last room?" he whispered.

"Ron isn't going to go for that."

"But he could get to know that blonde girl better, and I'm sure Longbottom won't mind."

"Everyone get settled." Remus called, "then go down for dinner."

"So?" Draco asked Harry raising his eyebrows in an expectant manner.

"Fine, I will tell them. Did you clear this with Hermione?" Harry asked.

"She won't mind." he replied.

Harry walked over to the others and told them of the plan while Draco told Hermione.

"I've got it worked out so we can at least share a room. We are going to bunk with Potter and the red head." he said to her.

"How ever did you manage that?" she asked curiously.

"Never you mind." he smirked. She wrinkled her nose slightly making a face at him before following him into their newly assigned room.

Ginny was inside waiting for Harry.

"Hi roomies." she joked. "I'm glad you thought of this." She said looking at Draco.

"I did not want to spend another night with your brother and Longbottom. No offense."

"None taken." Ginny grinned. "I lived with him for years. He is a slob and he snores."

The three of the giggled loudly before Harry entered the room.

"Your brother is in a right state." Harry told Ginny. "He doesn't see why he has to bunk with Neville."

"He'll get over it." Ginny said coolly.

"Yeah, but not anytime soon."  
"I will talk to him. Tell him it is the perfect way to get to know Luna better." Hermione said.

"Are we going to dinner now?" Ginny asked Harry as she kissed him sweetly on the cheek.

"Yeah, Remus wants everyone downstairs. Now let's not mention our living quarters to others, like the Weasleys, okay?" Everyone nodded and left the room. Hermione spotted Ron walking out of their room.

"Ronald, can I talk to you for a sec?"

"You sure you don't want to push me off on Neville or something?" he said sarcastically.

"Ronald, listen. Harry just wants to spend time with your sister and he wouldn't be comfortable with you in the same room. Look at it this way, you and Luna can talk privately after Neville falls asleep. No one could hear you over that racket." she told him.

"I suppose." he grumbled. "Do you always have to be right?"

"Yes, I do." she said in a sing-song voice as she skipped down the steps towards the kitchen.

Soon the voices of her fellow order members filled her ears as she entered the pleasant dining area. Everyone was seated at a long wooden table that ran nearly the length of the room. The thirteen order members were the only ones staying at the out of the way inn. Hermione took a seat next to Ginny and Draco and Ron sat down a moment later next to Harry and across from Luna. After a few minutes bowls and platters of food were brought to the table by the kitchen staff. Roast chickens, potatoes, beans, sausages, noodles and gravy were set down in front of the hungry order members. Everyone dove into the food quickly, not having eaten since early that morning. After filling their bellies with everything on the table the kitchen staff brought out dessert. Puddings and cakes were soon devoured. Pleasant conversation filled the table. Ron looked around at the order members and chuckled.

"Thirteen." he said to himself. Then doing quite a good impression of Professor Trelawnry he said;

"When thirteen dine the first to rise is the first to die."

The rest of the table stopped and stared at him.

"Good job Ron." Ginny said throwing a bean at him.

"What?" he asked grinning.

"Now is not the time to bring up death you moron." she told him.

"I was just kidding, you know Trelawnry…she's a mad old bat." Ron said shrugging. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"It's not a big deal Ginny. You know she is quite mad." she said pushing her plate away.

"Still, not very tactful." Ginny said sticking her tongue out at her brother.

"Ginny dear, stop teasing Ronnie." Mrs. Weasley said.

"What time do we have to get up?" Hermione asked Harry.

"Not as early. I want it to be light out before we go looking for Nagini. Those woods will be dark enough in the daytime to make it difficult for us."

"Either way I am tired." she yawned. "I'm ready for bed."

"It's only six in the evening." Ron said. "Who goes to bed _that_ early?"

"Me." she said stretching.

"Me too." Draco said standing and holding out his hand for Hermione. She took it and they walked up the steps together towards their room.


	22. Nagini

**Disclaimer; Still don't own it.**

**A/N It has been a very sad week in my household. On Wednesday we had to put my dog Trouble to sleep. She had a major stroke and several seizures. The vet said there was nothing they could do other than put her down. She was a 15 year old miniture border collie and we had her for nine years of that time. We found her on the streets near our old apartment after someone threw her out of a moving car. We are really upset over her death. If you would like to see a picture of Trouble visit my MY SPACE page and click on my blog page 'Trouble..." There is a link on my profile page. Or just go to MY SPACE and look me up by my email DracoLHermioneataoldotcom**

**On with the story...don't forget to review. It will cheer me up.

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Nagini

Hermione made her way down the hallway towards the shared bathroom. She wanted to get in there before anyone else so that she would not be rushed. She locked the door and ran the shower before undressing. She had only packed one change of clothes and a pair of summer pajamas. She stepped into the shower and washed her long hair inhaling the scent of the shampoo. It was a light flowery scent that she liked a lot. A few minutes later she was done and drying off. The satiny fabric of the pajamas felt cool on her skin. The inn was sweltering hot, no air conditioning and too few windows to get a good breeze. When she entered the room she was sharing with Draco, Harry and Ginny, Draco was already lying on the bed in just some boxers.

"Draco!" she exclaimed. "You can't sleep that way; we don't have a private room."

"It's hot!" he whined.

"Open the windows." Hermione said as she propped open one of the old windows with a stick. Draco did the same on the other side of the room and soon a cool breeze blew softly through the room. It wasn't much but it helped a lot.

"Here throw this on." she said tossing him a t-shirt out of the small bag he had packed.

"Fine." he groaned putting the shirt over his head. "Party pooper."

"You won't be saying that in a bit when Harry _isn't _using you for hexing practice." she smiled.

"Oooh, scared of Potter." he mocked.

"You should be," she joked.

A short while later Harry and Ginny entered the room screwing around tickling each other and giggling madly. Harry threw Ginny on the bed and began removing her shirt before Hermione put a stop to it.

"Ahem." she coughed loudly. Harry and Ginny looked up sheepishly.

"Hermione, Draco…uh we didn't see you here." Harry said straightening up and covering Ginny's exposed mid-section.

"Obviously." she smiled. "Do you want us to uh…take a walk or something?"

"No, no we're fine. Just gonna go drown myself in a cold shower, coming Ginny?" he asked. She nodded quickly and followed him down the hall.

Hermione looked back at Draco only to find a huge grin on his face.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing." he said continuing to grin.

"Tell me." she prodded.

"No, never mind." he replied.

"Don't make me use this." she said grabbing her wand from the nightstand.

"Oh fine… I was just thinking that Potter and Ginny will be gone for a while and we could take advantage of the moment." the twinkle in his eyes and the smirk on his face was as plain as the day.

"Really Draco…do you think I would risk that? Having Harry and Ginny walk in on that would be…too much to take." she said.

"That's the fun of it. The risk of getting caught. Come on 'Mione…just a little." he said nibbling on her ear and down to her neck.

"Don't start…" she mumbled. "you're not playing fair." The hairs stood up on end on every inch of her skin.

"Don't start what?" he joked kissing his way down to her chest.

"This." she said imitating his kissing motions.

"Oh, what about this?" he asked feeling her breasts through the think satiny fabric.

"That too." she said moaning softly.

"And this?" he said as his hands roamed down her flat stomach towards the elastic band of her satiny sleep shorts.

"Oh gods…" she moaned knowing full well that she would not be able to resist him for very long.

"How long will they be gone you think?" she groaned softly.

"Five, ten minutes." he breathed in her ear.

"And you think that is enough time to…"

He nodded eagerly before she could finish her sentence.

"You are impossible." she groaned as he rubbed her inner thigh.

"I know. Is that a yes?" his satiny voice echoed softly through the room.

She thought for a moment before nodding and covering his mouth with hers. She slipped her hand down his flat stomach and removed his boxers under the thin sheet. She slipped out of her pajama bottoms as well and positioned herself in front of him with her back against his stomach.

"This way if we hear them coming we can pretend to be asleep." she whispered. Hermione heard his husky 'ok' as she felt his hardness rubbing her back and rear. He lowered his body slightly and found his mark. She was already wet from the shower and from his previous groping. He slid in quickly making Hermione gasp with pleasure. Draco's strong arms went around her waist making her feel as safe as she could remember. His hot, irregular breathing on her neck turned her on even more. His hands wandered up towards her thinly covered breasts and squeezed. Every stroke he made had Hermione writhing with pleasure, she could tell that she was close to coming and hoped he was too. The fear mixed with excitement of Harry and Ginny walking in was at the front of her mind.

"Oh, Draco!" she called out in a whispered shout. A moment later he stopped thrusting and laid his sweaty head on her damp hair.

"You are amazing. Did you know that?" he asked her brushing a curl from her sweaty forehead.

"You aren't bad yourself." she said pulling on her bottoms on. "You better get your boxers on."

"Ok." he groaned pulling them on just as Harry and Ginny were heard coming up the hall. "See I told you it was enough time." he said poking her in the side in a playful manner.

Harry and Ginny burst through the door, both soaking wet, faces pink and grinning.

"Hands above the sheets." Ginny said jokingly.

"Shower separately Ginerva?" Hermione replied.

Harry's face blushed so deeply that it could be seen even in the pale light.

"Let's just try to get some sleep." said Harry.

"Looks like you two should have no problem." Ginny winked. Hermione's face flushed deeply as she tried to smooth her damp hair. Draco merely smirked and put his hands behind his head.

"Goodnight Ginny, Harry." she replied quickly.

"Goodnight Hermione, Draco." Ginny replied.

"Night." Draco replied. "And thanks."

"For what?" Ginny asked.

"Not calling me Malfoy."

"You're welcome." she said smiling. "Night."

* * *

The next morning Hermione heard banging on the door very early. 

"I thought we could sleep in Harry." she groaned.

"Hermione it's almost nine. That is sleeping in." Harry said standing up stretching.

"Get down to breakfast you lot." they heard Mrs. Weasley shout as she went to the next door.

"Ugh…" Ginny said grabbing her clothes and heading down the hallway towards the bathroom. Harry followed her grabbing his clothes as well.

Hermione stood up and took off her pajamas. Draco stretched and smiled at her.

"Morning." he said.

She flushed again slightly before pulling on clean panties and her bra. Following that was a t-shirt and jeans along with her trainers.

Draco reached in his bag and pulled out a t-shirt and jeans as well and put it on quickly. Harry and Ginny returned fully dressed just as Draco was pulling on his shoes.

"Ready?" Harry asked grabbing his and Ginny's wands.

"Ready." Hermione said doing the same.

"I'm starved." could be heard coming from the hallway.

"My brother must be up." Ginny joked. They ran down the stairs towards the kitchen to find the rest of the order up and already eating.

"Morning sleepyheads." Remus said to the teenagers that had just joined them.

"Morning." they all said between yawns. Harry tried to take a seat next to Ron so he could ask how it went with Luna last night.

"Hey." he whispered to his best friend. "How was it bunking with Neville and Luna?"

"It was fine." Ron replied. "Luna and I talked a bit. Have you ever heard of the rotfang conspiracy?" Harry laughed.

"Why as a matter of fact I have. Luna is a fascinating girl. Any snogging going on in there?" Harry asked.

"No, not yet." he said in a hushed voice. "But I did hug her, so it's a start. And I told her to remove those glamour charms. I liked her the way she was."

Harry looked over at Luna, her hair was a darker blonde, eyes pale blue again but he could honestly say he preferred her that way too. Honest, truthful.

"Good call mate." Harry said filling his plate with eggs, sausages and oatmeal. Ron raced over to Luna and pulled out her chair for her. A blush soon filled her cheeks and she giggled. Ron sat down next to her and started chatting. Harry returned to sit by Ginny, across from Hermione and Draco.

"Sleep well?" Hermione asked Ginny winking when Harry wasn't looking.

"Yes." she replied winking back. "How about you?"

"Wonderful."

"So mate, where are we headed today? Undoubtedly somewhere full of peril and danger." Draco grinned.

"Joking aside we are headed towards that forest on the edge of town. The snake Nagini should be out hunting for food soon and with the grace of the gods I can call her in parcel mouth and lure her away from her master. We can circle around her trapping her before I kill her. Any questions?" Everyone shook their heads no.

"Okay, finish eating and meet in the entrance hallway as soon as you're done."

* * *

The group finished quickly and gathered in the hall of the quaint inn. When Harry and Remus were done with the head count they headed out the door. Grey clouds filled the sky above them, rain seemed to be looming and some of the foggy mist had returned. 

"The Dementors are mating quickly." Harry whispered to Remus, who nodded in reply. They walked up the long dirt road taking the right fork instead of the left that lead to Harry's parent's house. After walking a bit the road abruptly ended just at the edge of a massive grove of trees. The trees seemed to block any light that might have helped in their search. Harry motioned his head towards the trees and the group followed him in loyally. When they got inside the clearing everyone lit their wands so that they could see. Just off the edge of the forest they could see the wooden cabin that Harry first saw in the mirror or Erised. Harry put his finger to his mouth to signal silence as they walked. The only sound that could be heard was the crunching of leaves and twigs on the forest floor. Tiny beams of obscured sunlight peeked through the treetops making the ground look like prison bars. They were walking towards the middle of the trees and then Harry spoke.

"Nagini." he said but to the others it sounded like hissing. "Nagini come here."

Draco seemed impressed by Harry's unusual ability. Harry continued to call the snake for half an hour or so as the rest of the group walked in silence.

"Nagini, your master is calling." Harry said again in parcel mouth. He was trying to lure her towards the cabin so they could catch her on the way back from hunting. So far they had heard nothing but their own footsteps and Harry's hissing.

Just then a crack of a twig in the far off distance made them all turn their heads towards the source of the noise.

"What was that?" Hermione asked.

"Shhhh…" Harry said listening.

It happened again, a cracking sound to the right of where they were standing now.

Hermione gripped Draco's hand. She had never told a single soul that snakes were one of her biggest fears. But she had faced scarier in the past and would not back down now.

The noise grew closer and closer.

"Ready yourselves." Harry whispered to the rest of the group. "Nagini" he hissed again.

A dark, long slithering shadow came at them quickly from the right. It was at least 20 feet long and fast as lightning.

"Circle around!" Harry shouted taking the mammoth snake by surprise. Everyone formed a large circle and pointed their wands right at the snake. Nagini circled frantically attempting to find a way out of this ring of enemies. It hissed fiercely at everyone until it came to Harry. Harry had a determined look in his eyes as he spoke to the snake.

"Are you Nagini?" he hissed.  
The snake blinked and nodded, cocking her head slightly at the odd boy who could speak as her master.

"Where is your master?" Harry asked. The snake looked at him and simply blinked. Harry pointed his wand in the snake's face.

"I said where is your master?" Harry hissed again.

The snake jabbed its tail westward towards the cabin they saw on the way in.

"Did your master perform the Horcrux spell on you?" Harry asked it. The snake tried to leave the circle but a barrage of sparks shot at the snake from all angles. Harry approached it again.

"Answer me!" he said. The fierce glare in Harry's eyes made him almost frightening. The snake, after figuring out that she was trapped nodded at Harry. An alarmed look in her eyes. Hermione almost felt a jab of pity for the poor creature. After all she had been raised to be Voldemort's servant. Harry however felt no such emotion for the snake in front of him. This snake had almost killed Mr. Weasley, and she had been there when Cedric was killed. He raised his wand high and spoke the words;

"Sectusempra!' as he slashed his wand through the air wildly. The curse caught the snake in mid-slither and cut it nearly in half. A terrible hissing echoed through the wood. The hissing of a dying snake. Harry repeated the curse several times leaving the snake in several pieces on the forest floor. Neville looked pale and ready to pass out. Hermione shielded her eyes by putting them on Draco's shoulder. The smell from the inside of the beast overwhelmed the group. They looked at each other not knowing what to say.

"Head for the cabin." Harry told them. "Let's end this."

The group silently followed Harry towards the clearing at the edge of the forest. The small, shabby cabin sat just on the outskirts. Lights were flickering in the window and shadows could be seen moving about.

"We are going to circle the cabin and blast it away, leaving him exposed." Harry said.

Little did they know the vibes of energy they were sending out were calling down another enemy. One that scared Harry far worse than Lord Voldemort.


	23. The Dark Lord

**Disclaimer; I own nothing, nothing at all...**

**A/N Thank you to everyone who reviewed and thank you for the kind words about the loss of my dog. Everyone made me feel much better about it. I have to give credit to Lady Lupin of Mugglenet for the idea for this chapter. She wrote about it in her editorial 'Spinner's end #14'. She is an awesome editorialist. I hope this is totally not what anyone expected...lol. Happy reading and don't forget to review.

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The Dark Lord

They approached the cabin cautiously, surrounding the tiny lodge as best they could. The mist that was hanging around the edge of the woods seemed to thicken before their very eyes. Harry nodded to everyone and said;

"On the count of three. One…two…three…Reducto!" Thirteen blasts came at the hut and blew it right off of its foundation. By the time the smoke cleared, a startled looking Wormtail was standing in the middle of what used to be a room in the cabin.

"Where is Voldemort?" Harry yelled. Wormtail was shaking from head to toe in the presence of the order members.

"I…don't know…he…I…uh…" he continued to stutter.

"Answer me Wormtail." Harry shouted.

"Don't make this harder on yourself Peter." Remus said calmly. "You are surrounded. Cooperate and maybe you will come out of this alive. You and I are the last of the marauders. You could make up for betraying Lily and James by helping us."

"I can't." Wormtail whined. "He will kill me…you don't know."

"I will kill you." Harry retorted. "You don't deserve another chance. But like Remus said, if you help it will make up for some of your deceitfulness."

"He is there." Wormtail whispered pointing to a chair behind him in the room. A silvery cloth fell off of Voldemort as he pointed his wand at Wormtail.

"Avada Kedavra!" the jet of green light hit Wormtail in the back and he crumbled to the rubble strewn floor with a sickening thud. The thirteen order members kept their wands pointed at Voldemort.

"Ah, friends and family and lovers. What a group you have here Harry." he said mock bowing at them. He bent over slightly and touched his wand to Wormtail's forearm, hitting the dark mark. A slight rumble and then thirty or so Death Eater's dropped from the sky landing behind Voldemort. Thousands of Dementors could also be seen swirling in the sky above them, while smaller Dementors circled the perimeter of the forest.

"Baby Dementors!" Hermione said to Draco in horror. The smaller Dementors were more active than the larger ones, circling and swooping about in an excited manner.

"Ah, my loyal servants. It seems that we outnumber our friends here by quite a few. And even my newest subjects have come to watch and feast!" Voldemort said clasping his hands together. His words seemed to excite the Dementors even further. The swirling black cloaks made dizzying patterns in the sky.

The order members gathered together to form a tight grouping. Wands still pointed outwards. The death eaters started to circle the group, laughing and taunting them.

A mixture of fear, sadness, and power radiated from both groups. The baby Dementors could no longer control themselves. They swooped in on both groups not discriminating on which they would feed off of.

A cloud of sadness descended on the order, Remus attempted to pass out chocolate but the depth of sadness was almost too much. The death eaters looked no better. It seemed they were experiencing the same emotions as the order. Voldemort however looked mildly affected at best. Once Remus forced some chocolate in everyone he told them all to prepare for the Patronus charm.

"One the count of three." Harry said while the death eaters and Voldemort were temporarily distracted. "One…two…three…EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

Different creatures appeared from the tips of the order members wands. Harry's stag appeared at the forefront of the group, charging down the baby Dementors with ease. Ron's Crup snapped at the bottoms of the Dementors robes, and Draco's eagle soared above nipping at them with its beak. A protective circle encased the order. Baby Dementors and then the adults bounced off the shield.

"It's working!" Ron said as he watched his patronus bite a baby Dementor and drag it to the ground.

The death eaters however were not so lucky. None of them could conjure a patronus. Not that they didn't try. Some even removed their mask in the misguided thought that it would help. Harry saw Crabbe and Goyle Sr., MacNair and Greyback attempting to fight off the Dementors. Then it happened. Draco looked up and saw his father struggling against a baby Dementor.

"Father." Draco said looking confused.

"Draco? Are you alright?" Hermione asked.

"It's my father. How did he escape Azkaban?"

Hermione looked over at the group of death eaters that were frantically trying to fend of the Dementors kiss.

Lucius Malfoy was trying to shoot 'Avada Kedavra' at them but it had no effect. A large Dementor lunged at him clamping his mouth over Lucius'. A sickening scream filled the air as Lucius Malfoy's soul was sucked out of his body. He was the first, but not the last. Some of the weaker Death eaters were the next to go.

"Keep up your patronus!" Harry shouted. Everyone did their best to hang on, but it was growing increasingly difficult.

Just then a low soft song came from the skies overhead. It was soft at first but grew louder and more soulful as the volume increased. Harry's heart leapt. It was Fawkes. He had not been seen since Dumbledore's funeral, but here he was flying overhead singing his song. It bolstered the group's spirits and their patronus' became even stronger. Harry thought of a world free of Voldemort, a life with Ginny, being away from the Dursley's.

"Give up Voldemort. We have destroyed all of your Horcruxes. You are all that is left of your pathetic, used up soul."

"Potter, join with me. We can do so much as a team rather than enemies. Your blood flows in my veins. You have some of my same powers and abilities. We could be more powerful than anyone could imagine."

"No, I don't need power. I have all I need standing around me." Harry replied. Around them the Dementors, unable to get to Harry or the other order members were falling quickly. Kiss after kiss rendered the death eaters helpless. They started to circle around Voldemort. Voldemort tried to conjure a patronus again and again but was not able. A patronus was such light and good magic he never had a chance to perform the charm. Terrible thoughts flooded Voldemort's mind. Being alone in the orphanage, his 'Avada Kedavra' rebounding on him at Godric's hollow, Harry escaping in the graveyard, the haunting faces of his own victims, the feeling of agony when he had tried to posses Harry in the ministry of magic, finding out the prophecy had been smashed, learning Harry had destroyed his diary and the basilisk. The outpouring of emotion drew the Dementors in. They circled Voldemort like he was prey.

The hundreds of Dementors rushed in, surrounding Voldemort, obscuring him from the order's field of sight. All they could see was jets of green light being shot at the Dementors from every direction. It had no effect. They kept gliding by, stealing a bit of Voldemort as they went by. The shrieks coming from the circle of Dementors was almost unbearable.

"Keep your patronus' going strong." Harry said loudly. "They will feed on him, not us."

Everyone nodded and held their wands strong. The outpouring of fear coming from Voldemort worked the Dementors into a frenzied state. They swooped down from everywhere but suddenly Fawkes swooped down from the sky and the Dementors scattered to the edges of the forest momentarily.

Voldemort lie on the ground in front of them, barely alive, barely conscious.

"Harry, Harry, Harry." he said weakly. "These creatures cannot kill me. I have made preparations for immortality. Things you know nothing about." he laughed hoarsely.

"I know all about it." Harry said. "And all of your preparations have been destroyed. The diary, the ring, the locket, the mirror, the goblet and Nagini. All that's left is to destroy you." He pointed his wand directly at Voldemort.

"Mirror?" Voldemort said in a high pitched inquisitive voice. "I never made a mirror into a Horcrux." Cruel, cold laughter followed this revelation.

Harry turned to look at the order, all of whom had shocked looks on their faces.

"The mirror of Erised. The one you had hiding in Malfoy Manor." Harry said sternly again.

"I used that mirror for many things, but never for hiding a bit of my soul." he wheezed, trying to stand up. Harry shot a beam of red light at him knocking him back on the ground.

"Seems you missed a vital piece of my soul Harry." he laughed.

Harry swore to himself before turning to the group.

"I'm sorry." he said. "I thought we destroyed them all, my mistake may have cost us our opportunity."

Just then Fawkes flew off again towards the forest and the Dementors came sniffing back around. The order cast their patronus' again to fend them off, but this time Harry's had changed. It was no longer the stag that charged down the Dementors. It was now a huge phoenix, its long tail feathers and huge wing span circling the order giving them increased protection from the hungry Dementors. Again they tried to penetrate the patronus charm but could not. The patronus was too strong. With nothing else to feed on they turned again to Voldemort. Baby Dementors kept lunging at Voldemort.

"Look!" Ron shouted pointing at a particularly large Dementor that was now closing in on Voldemort. Even through the hazy patronus barrier they could see the Dementors gaping mouth hole coming closer and closer to Voldemort's head. One last scream was heard before the Dementor clamped his mouth down on Voldemort's. Everyone stood there watching for a moment. The Dementor had delivered its kiss. With nothing left to feed on they began to retreat. Harry's phoenix flew after them chasing them into the darkness.

Exhausted the order let their wands fall. All of the patronus' followed Harry's, chasing the Dementors off for good.

Harry let off a small gasp. There on the ground in front of them was Tom Riddle. He was older, hair grey but it was definitely the handsome man who had once been head boy at Hogwarts.

Harry approached cautiously, and kicked the wand that lay on the ground backwards towards the other order members. Hermione rushed forward to pick it up.

"Tom?" he asked the unfortunate creature who was still on the ground in front of them. His eyes were yellow and rolling in the back of his head. Drool fell from his mouth. He seemed startled by Harry's movement towards him.

"Tom, can you hear me?"

No response. The other members of the group shuffled closer to the near crippled Tom Riddle.

"Blimey." Ron whispered. Harry looked up at Remus.

"He said the mirror wasn't a Horcrux. I failed." Harry said in a defeated manner.

"It's possible he was lying." Remus said studying the pitiful being before him. "But it's also possible that he was correct. But you did not fail."

Harry looked at Remus with more confusion than the had ever felt. Voldemort was not dead. Just sitting there soulless.

"I was supposed to kill him. Neither can live while the other survives. That's what the prophecy said." Harry told the rest of them.

"I don't believe it that is it's only meaning." Remus said helping Harry to his feet. "There are things worse than death." Harry nodded, but still didn't quite understand what had happened.

"Why is he like this though? Wouldn't the kiss have killed him in this weakened state?" Harry asked.

"Not necessarily. If what he said was true, that one Horcrux is enough to keep him alive. He can never die as long as that exists. But, what a cruel twist of fate. The Dementors kiss has sucked his very soul out of him. He is an empty shell. He may indeed still be immortal. But he will live like this for all of eternity. No awareness of himself or those around him, no power and no hope. It's a fate worse than death." Remus said as he looked down on Tom Riddle.

Hermione gasped at the very thought. She turned her gaze away from Tom and buried her head on Draco's chest.

Tom's head rolled about on his shoulders. His eyes remained unfocused and Remus and some of the others had began to bind him up with flicks of their wands. Ginny walked up and stared at him. He had made her life a living hell in her first year at Hogwarts. Drool fell from his mouth onto the ground near Ginny's shoes.

"You are disgusting." she said before spitting on his paling grey skin. He made some kind of indistinguishable noise "You got your wish Tom. Living forever." she leaned down and whispered to him "And I hope you enjoy it." He gagged and drooled and spat fluids out of his mouth. She stood up and walked back to where her brother was standing.

"Remus, Ron and I are going to apperate him back to the ministry. You guys head back to the Inn." Harry said grabbing one side of what used to be Voldemort. Remus grabbed the other side and Ron his feet.

With a pop the three plus the shell of Voldemort disappeared. Hermione kissed Draco squarely on the lips.

"It's over." she said. "No more Voldemort. No more hiding."

A smile came across his pink lips.

"Free." he simply said. And she kissed him again.

They all turned around to head back to the Inn and back their things. A overwhelming sense of happiness and peace hung over the group of ten. They walked and chatted, this time walking around the massive forest and back onto the dirt road that lead back into town. Their guard had been let down. And that was just what he was waiting for.


	24. The HalfBlood Prince returns

**Disclaimer; I don't own HP or anything related**

**A/N Hello everyone! I know this chapter is late but FF must have been having trouble. I couldn't upload anything! Thanks so much for all the reviews. I'm sorry if the last chapter wasn't what you wanted but thats how I envisioned it. Happy Reading and don't forget to review!

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The Half-Blood Prince returns

He followed them towards the edge of the forest. Keeping to the shadows of the trees and brush. His footsteps were muffled by a simple spell. He kept close, but not too close. He listened to their ramblings about what they were going to do now that Voldemort was gone. He just couldn't believe that his master, his true guide was gone. He had followed the dark lord for so many years only to have it yanked from him by that dratted Potter. But now Potter would pay, and pay dearly.

Up ahead the order members laughed and smiled. That is until they nearly reached the edge of the forest. That's when the ambush occurred. A jet of green light preceded by an 'Avada Kedavra' shot out of the brush on the side of the trees. The jet hit Neville in the chest and he fell to the ground in a sickening crash. Nine others pulled out their wands and aimed at where the spell had originated.

"Come out ya' bloody death eater." Hagrid called.

No one came out. Nothing stirred in the bushes. The group circled around each other, wands pointed everywhere. Tears were falling down Hermione's face as she stepped over Neville's limp body.

"You are surrounded." McGonagall called out. A low muffled laugh came from the tree to the left of them.

"Pathetic." Snape said as he jumped down to the ground and smoothed his black flowing robes. "Lupin, Potter and Weasley I take it have taken my master to the ministry, is that correct?" he seethed.

"It is." Hermione replied.

"Shut up Mudblood." Snape spat at her.

"Isn't your _father_ a muggle you piece of shit?" Ginny said startling the rest of the group with her sassy mouth.

"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley shouted.

Snape ignored her and continued.

"Do you think just because you killed the Dark Lord that his followers would abandon him?" Snape drawled.

"You are the only follower left. His other 'loyal servants' lay dead or soulless in that field beyond the forest." Hermione said.

"Wouldn't that make you a half-blood?" Ginny said again angrily.

Snape continued ignoring her.

"You lie!" Snape said with uncertainty in his voice.

"She doesn't lie." Draco said speaking up for the first time. "Dementors. They got my father too, not that it's much of a loss."

"Lucius is dead?" Snape asked. Draco smirked and nodded.

"You fools! Do you realize that as long as I am the Dark Lord's faithful servant he will never die?" he laughed manically.

"Die?" Hermione asked. "He is not dead."

"Not dead, but…" he stuttered. Draco had never saw Snape so shook up.

"Dementors sucked out his soul. He is immortal, that much is true thanks to his last hidden Horcrux, but he will live out that eternity as a soulless shell." Hermione said smartly.

"No. If he is still alive that means I cannot take over for him." Snape said shakily.

"I guess not." Ginny smirked.

Snape shot up from his slumped composure and pointed his wand at the group.

"It matters not." Snape said. "Once I dispose of all of you I will be gone, and I will live out my life still as his most faithful servant." his laughter chilled Hermione to the bone.

"You are outnumbered Severus." McGonagall said sternly. "Just come along with us. Maybe the courts will take pity on you."

"Pity?" he laughed again. "I murdered Dumbledore. There will be no pity for me. As there will be no court for me as well Minerva." with a quick jab he shouted "AVADA KEDAVRA!" and yet another jet shot at McGonagall. She too crumpled to the ground. He shot a quick

"SECTUMSEMPRA" at Draco slashing his chest deeply.

At the same time seven order members shouted;

"STUPIFY!"

And seven identical jets of red light shot at Snape. His black eyes widened as he saw the spells approaching. Unable to avoid them he took them straight on. His arms spread in a wide stance. They hit his chest and a thud could be heard from the group. He stumbled backwards into a freefall and landed on the ground. His wand fell out of his hand when he hit. Ginny grabbed his wand and moved it far from his body.

Blood flowed from Draco's open wound. Hermione fell to her knees as the rest of the group scrambled to tie him up. Draco's already pale skin seemed even paler as she held his head up off the mossy ground. Ginny raced over to where Hermione kneeled.

"Is he…" she started trying to contain her sadness.

"No. But he needs to get to the hospital fast." she said using her wand to close the gash as best she could. She looked over at Neville and McGonagall. There was no hope for them.

"I'm taking him. Tell the others where I went." she said holding Draco's limp body in her hands. She closed her eyes and pictured the atrium before apperating quickly to St. Mungo's.

She startled quite a few people when she appeared suddenly in the large atrium.

"I need help!" she screamed out as several healers passing by ran to her in their lime green robes. Her eyes were filling with tears already. They levitated him towards some large swinging doors and she followed as quickly as she could.

"You'll have to stay here Miss." they told her as she attempted to follow.

"No, I'm going with him."

"Are you family?" they asked.

"Well no, but…"

"Then you are waiting here." he said sternly before walking swiftly behind the other healers that were levitating Draco.

Hermione fell to her knees by the door. Draco was dying, and she was stuck out here waiting for news. She ran to the front desk as quick as her shaking legs would take her.

"I need an owl." she said. The man sitting behind the counter pointed her to a door just off the atrium. She ran there and swung open the door. A hundred owls sat on perches above twelve or so desks that were filled with parchment and ink. She grabbed the closest one and wrote in a scribbling fashion.

_Harry, Ron or whomever gets this first,_

_We were attacked after you took Voldemort. Snape killed Neville and Professor McGonagall. He injured Draco severely. I am at St. Mungo's. Get here as fast as you can._

_Hermione_

She rolled the parchment and slipped it into a tawny owl's leather pouch.

"Take this to Harry Potter." she said to the owl, which pecked at her finger before flying off through the hole in the ceiling.

Hermione went back to the atrium and sat.

'Why?' she thought to herself 'Why Draco? Why didn't Snape kill him like the others? Did he want him to suffer?' she thought.

After what seemed like an eternity Harry, Ron, Ginny and Luna appeared in the waiting room.

"Hermione!" Harry called "What happened."

Hermione's superficial composure dropped and she threw herself into his arms.

"It was awful." she cried. "Poor Neville, and Professor McGonagall and then he slashed Draco with Sectumsempra."

"I am so sorry." Harry said. "We shouldn't have left you. I thought it was over."

"It's not your fault Harry." Hermione said.

"He's at the ministry now." Ginny told Hermione. "Him and Voldemort."

"That's good." Hermione said wiping her eyes on Harry's shirt.

"How is Draco?" Ron asked.

"I don't know." she said breaking into hysterical sobs again. "They wouldn't let me back with him. He is all alone."

"Why?" Luna asked.

"I'm not family." Hermione said mockingly.

"Let me see what I can do." Harry said. He walked over to the counter and talked with the man a bit before calling them to come with him. He walked through the double doors with the other four right on his heels.

"How did you do that?" Hermione asked.

"I am Harry Potter." he said in a formidable tone.

"Just because you vanquished Voldemort does not mean you get to act like a prat." Ginny said hitting him on the side of the shoulder.

"Ow!" he said rubbing the spot. Soon they found the ward they were looking for. Fourth floor. Spell damage. They burst in not knowing quite what to expect. Green healer's robes were running back and fourth making the color blur to the five of them.

"Excuse me!" Harry called to one of them. No one paid him any attention. "EXCUSE ME!" he shouted again. A dark haired witch came over to them.

"Can I help you?" she said eyeing up Harry before gasping.

"Draco Malfoy, tall, blond came in with a slash. I would like an update on him."  
"Just as soon as I know anything Harry I will tell you." she replied.

"Cho?" he asked looking at her more closely.

"Yes." she said blushing only slightly.

"You are a healer?" he asked.

"Trainee." Cho replied. "I will tell you when I know something. Just have a seat okay?"

Ginny was eyeing Cho suspiciously.

"Alright." Harry said sitting in one of the chairs. Ron, Luna, Ginny and Hermione followed suit.

"He just has to be okay." Hermione cried. Ginny wrapped her arm around Hermione's shoulder.

"He will be. Snape and Madam Pomfrey healed him before. He will be just fine." she said soothingly.

"Yeah, but Harry was inexperienced with the spell. Snape knew what he was doing. He created that curse. He knew how to counteract it." Hermione sobbed.

The five of them sat there for what seemed like an eternity. The reality of the situation set in. Two of the order members where dead, another was near death. After a while Hagrid, Remus, Tonks and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came up to the hospital.

Molly hugged Hermione in a motherly way while Mr. Weasley talked to various healers about Draco's condition. Ginny sat quietly in Harry's lap and Luna sat on the arm of Ron's chair stroking his red hair. Remus and Tonks sat stone faced contemplating what had gone wrong. Hermione sat talking to Mrs. Weasley until finally Cho came over to give them an update.

"He's stable for now. And I have owled the ministry to come get him when he is well enough." she said proudly.  
"WHAT?" nearly everyone sitting around said loudly.

"Isn't he a death eater?" Cho asked.

"NO, he is a member of the order and one of the people responsible for vanquishing Voldemort." Harry said loudly. "Now owl them back and have them contact me."

"Alright Harry…" she said nervously. "Does anyone know the curse used on him?"

"Sectumsempra." Harry, Ginny and Hermione all said at once.

"I don't believe I have heard of that one." Cho said puzzling.

"Owl Madam Pomfrey at Hogwarts. She knows something about healing it. He had it used on him before, though not as severely." Harry said remembering the time in his sixth year when he had cursed Draco.

"Thank you." she said coolly walking away from them.

"Cho?" Hermione asked. "Can I see him?"

"For a moment. He's just over there." she said pointing.

Hermione felt as if her feet couldn't carry her fast enough to his bedside. She threw back the curtain and ran into his room. There on the bed was Draco. Only he looked different. Like he wasn't real. His skin was extremely pale and it had a grayish tint to it. His lips were white and his eyeballs flickered underneath his lids. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. Hermione expected him to wake up when she arrived but he did not. On his bare chest was a large bandage with blood oozing through the thin cotton. His chest rose and fell slowly, almost too slow for Hermione's taste.

"Oh Draco." she cried kneeling next to his bed. Harry and the others stuck their head in carefully not wanting to disturb a private moment if indeed one was taking place. But Hermione waved them in.

"He doesn't look good." Hermione said quietly.

The others remained quiet just standing there watching Hermione cry at his side. Eventually with no news some of the others decided to head to the fifth floor tea room and grab a bite to eat.

"Do you want us to bring you anything dear?" Molly asked patting Hermione's shoulder.

"No, I'm not hungry." she said softly. Everyone except Harry and Ginny left for a bit. They sat solemnly in the corner sharing a seat.

"It's my fault." Harry kept muttering over and over. "I shouldn't have left, I should have stayed."

"Harry stop." Hermione said. "Even if you had been there, Snape came out of nowhere."

"Yeah Harry." Ginny said. "There was nothing anyone could do."

"But why not kill him too?" he said motioning towards Draco's bed. "Why use Sectumsempra on him? It just doesn't make sense."

"I think he wanted to punish Draco for abandoning his master." Hermione sniffed. "And this way he would suffer before he died."

"Poor Neville." Ginny suddenly said. Hermione and Harry both nodded. "And McGonagall. What is school going to be without her?"

"Yeah." Hermione said turning her attention back to Draco, who seemed to be stirring slightly.

"Draco?" she said, her voice pleading. But to no avail. He was still out cold.

A few minutes later an owl arrived from the ministry confirming the imprisonment of Severus Snape and Tom Riddle. Harry wrote back telling them of Draco's status and sent it straight back.

The only sounds left by Draco's bed were the gentle inhale and exhale of his breathing.


	25. Waiting

**Disclaimer; Secretly I am JK Rowling and am planning to kill off everyone...hhmmmwwwhhhhhhaaaaaa! Just kidding...**

**A/N I know this is a shorter chapter but it's kind of a filler so just bear with me. If you haven't read my one shot 'The summer of Ginny' yet...please do. Even if you don't like Ginny/Draco stories I would like some more reviews for that oneshot. Thanks! Happy reading and don't forget to review!

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Waiting

Hermione stayed by Draco's bedside as he lay there sleeping. Every time his eyes would move under his lids she would jump up and try to wake him. So far it hadn't worked. It had been three long days of waiting. Three days of tears. Three days of Ron, Harry and Ginny watching Hermione in silence plead over his still body to just wake up. She ate nothing, and only slept in few minute increments. The large bags underneath her eyes gave Hermione the appearance of a corpse.

"Hermione," Harry started. "Go back to my house shower, change your clothes and then come back. We will keep watch for you."

"No…no…I want to be here the minute he wakes up. I want him to know that I was here the entire time." she said in a weak voice.

"I wasn't asking." Harry said sternly. "You are in the order and I am the leader. You swore when you joined you would follow any order given without question. Go to my house and clean up."

Hermione looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"Please Harry…" she said starting to sob again.

"Go." he said. Fully knowing it was for her own good. Hermione stood up glaring at him.

"Fine." she said walking out of the room and towards the atrium where she could floo back to number 12. She hated Harry for making her leave.

'It's for you own good.' she mocked Harry's voice inside of her head.

She reached the floo, grabbed some powder and called out;

"Number 12 Grimmauld place."

The bright green flames swirled around her and soon she was stepping out of the fireplace at Harry's house. Molly was sitting in front of the fire knitting.

"Hermione dear…you don't look so good. Would you like me to fix you something?"

"No thanks Mrs. Weasley. I'm not that hungry."

"Nonsense. Besides Harry already owled and ordered me to feed you."

Hermione rolled her eyes. Harry could be so bossy sometimes.

"Okay then. But I am going to take a shower first."

"It will be ready when you are done." she said hurrying to the kitchen. Hermione climbed the stairs slowly. She had not realized how emotionally and physically drained she really was. It had been the longest week of her life.

By the time she got to the top of the stairs she felt like she could curl up and fall asleep on the worn wood floor. She managed to make her way to the bathroom and turn on the hot water. She stripped off the clothes she had been wearing for days and threw them on the floor. She didn't care about order and neatness at that moment. All she cared about was getting done and getting back to St. Mungo's. She stepped inside the shower letting the water run over her naked tired body. She washed her hair first, cleaning away all the residue of their encounter with Voldemort and Snape. Then she washed up, cleaning her nails thoroughly. There were still traces of blood, of _his_ blood underneath them. And then she began to cry again. Finally she had found someone to love. And who returned her love and fate had taken him away from her. She took several deep breaths before getting out of the shower. She grabbed a towel and dried off before brushing her teeth thoroughly. Her parents would be mortified if they found out she had skipped brushing for three whole days. She headed back to her room with only a towel wrapped around her thin body. When she got inside she closed the door and laid her head a pillow of the bed they had shared. His scent still lingered on the pillowcase and sheets. She inhaled as deeply as she could, savoring every note of his fragrance.

'He has to be alright.' she thought as she lay there. And minutes after lying down she fell fast asleep for the first time in days. She began to dream almost immediately.

* * *

"_Okay, let's tuck them in and get to bed ourselves." he grinned. Hermione rolled her eyes and got up off of the couch. They walked up the stairs hand in hand before she heard a scream. _

_Hermione broke away from Draco's grip and took the stairs two at a time. She checked Emily's room first. Emily was sitting on her bed brushing her hair._

"_Who screamed?" she asked her daughter. _

"_I didn't hear anything mum." Emily said puzzled. Draco caught up with her._

"_What is going on?"_

"_Someone screamed." Hermione said breathlessly running to Brennan's room. He was in bed waiting for his kiss goodnight._

"_I'll be right back Brennan." she said racing to Roslyn's pink nursery. She flung open the door and put her hands over her mouth in horror._

_Standing in the nursery, holding her tiny baby was Voldemort. The baby didn't make a sound as Voldemort silkily stroked her baby fine blonde hair._

"_Put her down you sick fuck!" Draco said shouting and pulling his wand out of his robes._

"_Shhhh…you'll wake her." Voldemort said with some kind of a putrid smile on his face._

"_Give her to me." Hermione demanded. She walked right up to Voldemort, not a bit scared for herself._

"_Where are your manners? You and your blood traitor husband didn't even invite me to the wedding or send me a birth announcement." he hissed._

"_Are you addled in the brain? Did Azkaban do this to you?" Draco spat back. "Release my daughter now." his wand was pointed directly at Voldemort's heart._

"_Put your wand away boy. It will do no good against me. You see my most faithful servant Snape escaped Azkaban and reunited my body with my last Horcrux. And to reward him, I promptly killed him and made another Horcrux to protect me."_

_Draco's hand was shaking a bit._

"_LET HER GO!" Hermione screamed. Just then Brennan and Emily walked in the room._

"_Mum, Dad? What's going on? Who is that and why is he holding Roslyn?" Emily said wide-eyed._

"_GO BACK TO BED." Draco roared. The two frightened children, who had never heard their father yell, obeyed immediately._

"_How sweet they are." Voldemort hissed through his teeth._

"_Don't you even look at them!" Hermione shrieked. "Give me my baby!"_

"_How rude of me. Here she is….AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

_Hermione's scream shook the very foundation of the tiny house.

* * *

_

Hermione woke up screaming. Her forehead was covered in sweat as was her bed sheets. Molly came running up the stairs and burst through Hermione's door.

"What's wrong? What happened?" she asked.

"Just a bad dream." Hermione said catching her breath. "Nothing to worry about."

"Alright dear. Well if you've had enough rest come downstairs and eat."

Hermione nodded and after Molly left the room she got dressed in some clean yoga pants and a short t-shirt. She put some sandals on her feet and made her way down the steps towards the kitchen. Her heart was still racing. That dream. It was so real. Just like the one she had before…only worse.

"Here you go Hermione." Molly said placing a huge bowl of soup, a loaf of bread and a pitcher of pumpkin juice on the table.

"Mrs. Weasley? Do you have anything stronger?" she said pointing to the juice.

"Of course. How about some elf made wine?"

"That would be great." Hermione said.

"Care to share the dream?" Molly asked as she poured the wine.

"It was Voldemort. He came back, and killed my daughter…well _our_ daughter." Hermione said.

"Our? As in you and Mr. Malfoy I presume?"

Hermione nodded.

"Well it was just a dream." Molly said soothingly.

"But I've had it before…well part of it. He said in the dream that Snape found the last Horcrux and brought him back…and then he showed up at our house and killed our baby!" Hermione said sobbing in between drinks.

"You don't have any seer blood in you…right?" Molly said in a quizzical manner.

"I don't think so. I am the first witch in the family." Hermione told her.

"Don't be so sure…generations and generations of witches and wizards have married muggles. Way down your family tree might be something…you just never know."

Hermione shrugged taking another drink.

"Oh, and this came for you yesterday." Molly said handing Hermione two letters.

"Thank you." she replied. She ate a few big bites of soup before opening the first letter. It was from her parents.

* * *

_Dear Hermione,_

_I hope everything is alright with you. It's been so long since we have heard from you and even longer since we have seen you. You know how worried we are about you. Everything is fine here; your father and I are working a lot. It helps keep our minds off of worrying for you. Please write back when you get this. We love you so much._

_Mum and Dad

* * *

_

Hermione felt so bad for neglecting her parents. She had been so preoccupied with Draco that she had forgotten to write to them and let them know she was safe. She went over to the old desk in the corner and grabbed some parchment and a quill.

* * *

_Dear mum and dad,_

_Things are hectic here. We just finished our trip and Harry captured Voldemort after weakening him to the point of death. We suffered two losses. Professor McGonagall and Neville Longbottom. And my friend Draco is in the hospital…he may or may not make it. When he gets better I would love for you to meet him. I promise when all this chaos is over I will come home for a visit._

_I love you both and I am safe,_

_Hermione

* * *

Hermione grabbed the second letter and tore it open. She recognized the sloppy handwriting at once. Viktor. _

* * *

_Dearest Hermione,_

_I have not heard from you in a while and it worries me. If I don't hear from you in a week's time I will head down there. I hope everything is well with you. I miss you terribly. It is very lonely here and a letter and a visit would make time go so much faster for me. How is the hunt going? Is Harry any closer? You know I care about you deeply, and I hope you return the feelings. Please write back quickly._

_Love always,_

_Viktor

* * *

_

Hermione browsed the letter quickly and wrote a hasty response. She didn't want to get into the depths of their friendship with Viktor right now. She let him know that she was fine, and that Harry had succeeded, and that she would write a better letter soon. She gave both letters to Hedwig who was anxious to have something to do. Just as she was finishing her lunch another owl, this time a grey one, came pecking on the window. She grabbed the letter and read it quickly before dropping it on the kitchen floor and running to the fireplace. It had two words;

_**He's awake.**_


	26. Harsh Reality

**Disclaimer; I don't own Harry or his lovable band of friends...**

**A/N Hi everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. Just a quick note. When I end a chapter I usually end it there for a reason. If it is a cliffy, it's because I want to keep you reading the story and wanting more. If it just cuts off, it's because I want something to happen in the next chapter and it is too long to add to this chapter. Don't flame me for when the chapters end please. Thank you. Happy reading and dont forget to reveiw.

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Harsh reality

Hermione rushed to the fireplace and swept past Molly.

"What's the matter dear?" she asked seeing Hermione's rushed state of mind.

"Draco…he's awake. I have to get back to St. Mungo's." she blurted out before grabbing a clay pot of floo powder and throwing it quickly into the fireplace.

"St. Mungo's" she shouted stepping into the emerald green flames.

The fire surrounded her and soon she was stepping into the lobby and racing down the hall to where they were keeping Draco. She ran so fast that she passed by Harry and Ginny without even saying 'hello'. Just as she was about to open the door to his room a hand grabbed her shoulder and whipped her around.

"Harry!" she said startled. "You surprised me, how long ago did he wake up?"

"About thirty seconds before I owled you. But Hermione, it's not all good news."

"What do you mean?"

"He's not quite right yet. That's why I'm out here. He sort of…kicked me out of the room. Cho is working on fixing it."

"Kicked you out? Whatever for?" she asked.

"He doesn't quite remember that we are civil now. He doesn't remember much of anything since he fled with Snape. He doesn't know that that his mother is dead." Harry said calmly.

The weight of the situation set in Hermione.

"If he doesn't remember any of that…then what else doesn't he remember Harry?" she asked wide eyed hoping beyond hopes that he would not say what she already knew.

"You." Harry said hanging his head. "But Cho says it's only temporary and any little thing could make his mind snap back. He is weak, and was given several potions for strength. I don't think you should go in there."

"THIS IS YOUR FAULT HARRY!" Hermione suddenly shouted.

"My fault? What are you talking about?" he said confused.

"If you had just let me be here when he woke up none of this would have happened." she started to sob for the millionth time in four days.

"He lost a lot of blood, and his brain was cut off of oxygen. He might have done something to you had you been there when he woke up. It's no ones fault 'Mione." he said soothingly.

"It's Snape's fault. And if I EVER see him again I will curse him into oblivion." she said through her tears.

"Sit down." Ginny said guiding her to a seat near the door.

"NO!" Hermione said. "I want to see him."

"You can't. Cho is in there. Maybe she will have good news when she comes out."

Hermione sat there biting her lip for what seemed like an eternity. Finally Cho emerged.

"How is he?" Hermione asked before anyone could say a word.

"Stable. He's lucky to be alive." she said writing something on a piece of paper.

"I mean does he remember…" she started, but her tears interrupted.

"No." Cho said grimly. "It is most likely temporary. Any little thing could jog his memory. But right now he is being a real prat. Complaining about the room, the food, the care I am giving him. It's almost like being back at school."

Hermione's stomach felt like it was sinking to the bottom of her body. She was in love with a man who would most likely curse her the moment she stepped in the room.

"Is it safe to go in?" Hermione asked cautiously.

"I don't know…" Cho started. "He is in a right foul mood. No wand though so he can't do that much damage."

"Right." Hermione replied.

"Hermione." Harry called.

"What?"

"It's not a good idea. Trust us." he said. Ginny nodded behind him.

"I don't care." she said solemnly. "I have to see for myself."

She walked purposefully towards the glass door and peered in. Her breath caught in her through as the old Draco Malfoy she had come to know and loathe was sitting in the bed. His face was screwed up in a scowl as he sat there shouting at a house elf that was taking away an untouched lunch tray.

"AND IF YOU EVER BRING ME SLOP LIKE THAT AGAIN I WILL TAKE IT UP WITH MY FATHER. HE AND MY MOTHER MAKE HEFTY DONATIONS TO THIS DUMP!"

Hermione had to admit his shouting scared her. She straightened up and went in the door just as the frightened house elf was leaving.

"Hello." she said softly to a man she barely recognized.

"What the fuck do you want mudblood?" he sneered. "I am not cooperating with the ministry."

He crossed his arms and stared at her.

"Oh, it's not that Draco…" she started taking a seat next to his bedside.

"Who do you think you are mudblood? We don't know each other or like each other enough to use first names."

"Do you remember anything Draco? Anything at all?" she asked with hope in her voice.

"What are you going on about?" he hissed. She could feel his loathing for her.

"About the last year? The last few months? The Horcruxes? Anything?" she asked.

"You obviously need to be here more than I do. You are addled in the brain. Leave."

It was not a request, more an order.

"Draco please…" she begged. Her voice was cracking.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" he asked piercing her with his steely grey eyes.

"Think!" she shouted. "Try as hard as you can!' she screamed.

Just then Cho came in and led Hermione out of the room.

"That won't work." she told Hermione. "Shouting at him…it won't work."

"Oh Harry!" she said throwing herself over his shoulders.

Harry wrapped his arms around Hermione and held her tightly.

"I'm so sorry Hermione." Harry calmed her.

"What am I going to do?" Hermione sobbed. "He called me mudblood…and he doesn't remember anything. Anything at all."

"I know." he replied.

They sat like this for hours, in the waiting room just outside his room. Harry forced her to eat, sleep and carry on like a zombie for as long as he could. The hours turned into days, which turned into weeks. Cho was not optimistic about his recovery.

"I'm sorry Hermione. I have to send him home. He's healthy other than his memory. I can't keep him here any longer."

Hermione nodded numbly. She had of course tried to talk to him over and over but he just would not listen. He sent her away usually as soon as she walked in the door. She would beg and plead with him to just remember but he never would even make an effort.

Nearly a month after the attack Draco was being released from the hospital. Hermione wanted to be there but Harry talked her out of it. He was going back to Malfoy Manor. Going back to a house that he knew was empty but didn't remember how it got that way. He had of course been told that his mother had died by Cho. But other than that his brain could not retain his former life. Hermione sat at number 12 Grimmauld place crying that morning. Crying and vomiting in the rubbish bin. She felt horrible. Actually horrible was putting hit mildly. She was sick with the flu. Everyone had tried to get her to go to St. Mungo's but that place held terrible memories for her now. She doubted she would ever go back. His silver eyes haunted her dreams. And that was enough to make her feel like the world was full of no joy, only despair. After a few days of throwing up, Harry owled Cho and had her stop by the house.

When she arrived, Hermione was curled up on the sofa staring into the orange flames of the fire. Her eyes were red and swollen, and her skin was blotchy.

"Hermione?" Cho asked cautiously. "Hermione can you hear me?"

Hermione nodded but said nothing.

"How are you feeling?" she asked taking several bottles out of her healer's bag.

Hermione looked at her and Cho saw that something had died inside of her. She shrugged her shoulders before returning her gaze to the fire.

"I see. Well I would like to do some tests if you don't mind. Harry says this flu has been with you for a week already. Let's take a look shall we?" she asked.

Hermione nodded.

Cho ran some tests, chanted some spells and used some potions to test Hermione for everything she could think of. After hours she had the results.

"Hermione, you are going to be fine. You are pregnant." she said softly. Mistakenly thinking this would be good news to Hermione.

Her head whipped around to look at Cho. The chocolate brown eyes that had once been full of laughter and life were listless. Finally she spoke.

"Pregnant?" she said softly. "Pregnant?" her whole body began to shake.

"Yes, about a month along. Would you like to know the sex?" she asked.

"It's a girl." Hermione said.

Cho cocked her head and looked at her patient.

"That's right. How did you know that if you didn't even know you were pregnant?"

"I just know."

"Oh, well stop by my office…it's not at St. Mungo's…and we will check on the baby once a month okay? You take care of yourself." she said smiling and using the floo to get back to her office. Harry and Ginny who were in the room the whole time stared at Hermione, expecting some reaction of joy. But she sat there blankly.

"'Mione? Are you alright?" Harry asked adjusting his glasses as he sat next to her on the sofa.

Then suddenly it was as if a light went off inside her head.

"Oh yes. I'm fine…just fine." she said standing up and absentmindedly rubbing her still flat stomach.

"Can I get you something Hermione?" Ginny asked.

"No. I'm going to take a shower." said Hermione.

"If you need anything…just ask okay?" Ginny said. "My mum will be thrilled; she will finally be able to knit some baby things."

Hermione forced a smile at Ginny before climbing the steps.

'Pregnant.' she thought 'I am pregnant with his child and he doesn't even know.' Her whole body felt weak and trembling.

She forced herself into the shower and stood there for eternity thinking. When she emerged a plan had already formed in her head. She went into her bedroom and got dressed. A long yellow and pink sundress and sandals. She put her hair up into a messy ponytail and applied some light makeup.

She walked downstairs past Harry and Ginny. They looked at her as if she had a bird on her head. They had not seen her out of her grimy pajamas in over two weeks.

"Where are you going 'Mione?" Harry asked.

"To tell him." she said blankly.

"You can't. He might hurt you. He doesn't need to know." Harry said pleadingly.

"He does need to know. Maybe he will remember." she said.

They tried to stop her but it was too late. She had grabbed a handful of floo powder and threw it into the flames of the living room fireplace.

"Malfoy Manor, Draco's room." she shouted before stepping inside and letting the fire take her away.

When she landed it was in a dark room. The fire was barely burning giving the room an eerie glow. The walls and furniture were dark wood. And the giant bed was covered in black bed linens. She groped around for her wand and whispered;

"Lumos!"

The tip of her wand glowed faintly. She stood up and dusted her dress off before making her way to the bedroom door. He was not in there, thank Merlin. Sticking her head out the door she listened for any sounds. The large home was dead silent. Only the creaking floorboards made any noise as she walked. The house was mammoth and cold. Cobwebs hung from every fixture. And it had an air of death. Room after room was empty as she searched. Finally she came to the Library. The room they came to searching for information all those months ago. A tiny light burned on a table off to the right of the doors. Sitting there hunched over a book was Draco. His face was relaxed and his hair fell into his eyes as he squinted trying to read in the dim light.

Hermione's heart was pounding in her chest. She didn't know how he would react to her being in his home. Or about the baby.

"Draco?" she said softly. Too softly. He didn't look up.

"Draco?" a little more loudly. His head whipped up to stare at her with those icy eyes she loved so much.

"Just what the fuck do you think you are doing breaking into my home? You will be going to Azkaban for this. My family has clout with the ministry."

Clearly he was still somewhat confused; his family was disgraced in the wizarding world.

"Please, just hear me out and I will be gone. I will never bother you again."

"You must be fucking joking. I don't want to listen to anything you have to say. Now get out!" he said standing up and grabbing her by the shoulders.

"Please…" she started crying. "You need to know…you deserve to know."

"Well get on with it then. I have to wash my hands after touching you." he sneered. The words cut right through Hermione but she pressed on.

"I know you don't remember, but I saved your life. I healed you and brought you to Harry's house…"

"Potter? You fucking took me to Potter's house? Why the hell are you telling me this? To give me nightmares?"

"No, but you helped us defeat Voldemort, and we…well we fell in love." she blurted.

"ME? LOVE YOU? You really need to seek help mudblood." he said walking away waving his hand for her to leave.

"I'm pregnant." she said, tears building in her eyes.

"So?"

"It's yours."

"It's not. You had better go tell Weasel he's the daddy because I am not."

"You are Draco…you are!" she sobbed. "Try to remember! Please just try!"

"I would never stick my dick in a trashy mudblood slut like you. Now leave before I make you leave."

Hermione felt her heart literally break. She didn't try to convince him anymore. She just hung her head and walked out of the library and out the back door she had come in with Draco, Harry and Ron merely two months ago. Once outside she apperated back to number 12.

And there was a surprise waiting for her when she got there.


	27. A Visit with Viktor

**Disclaimer; I own nothing**

**A/N Well, this story will be wrapping up in the next few chapters so expect the unexpected. Happy reading and don't forget to review! I would really like to hit 1000 reviews for this. Help me make that dream come true!

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A Visit with Viktor

Standing in the sitting room of number 12 was Viktor Krum. He was chatting with Harry and Ginny when Hermione walked in the front door looking thoroughly miserable. She nearly fainted when she saw him sitting on the sofa.

"Viktor!" she said. "What a nice surprise…I didn't expect you." she was making eye contact with Harry rather uncomfortably.

"Herm-own-ninny!" he said standing up to hug her. "You haff been crying. Vot is vrong?"

"Nothing, its nothing. Let me go change please. Harry can I have a word with you?"

Harry nodded and motioned for Viktor to sit and chat with Ginny.

They got to the upstairs hallway before Hermione broke down.

"I take it that it didn't go well." Harry said soothing her.

She shook her head no.

"I can't face Viktor. He fancies me, and I am pregnant with another man's child." she sobbed.

"I think you need to be straight with him Hermione. Change your clothes and I will tell him to come up for a chat. Don't push away everyone who cares for you. Draco may be a lost cause. Don't ruin another chance at happiness."

She nodded before entering her room and changing into some comfy pajamas. A few minutes later there was a knock at the door.

"Herm-own-ninny? Are you ready?" he asked.

"Come in." she said wiping her eyes and sitting on her bed.

"Vat is the matter? Vhy haff you been crying?" he asked kneeling in front of her on the bed and wiping her tears.

"Can I be honest with you Viktor?" she asked looking into his dark eyes. She wanted to see pools of silver, but they just weren't there.

"Ov course." he told her.

"I am pregnant. The father, who I was in love with, wants nothing to do with me or the baby. And I am scared. That's why I am crying." she said breaking into tears again.

"Shhhh…" he soothed. "Don't cry. How can this be true? The man must be mad not to love you."

"He doesn't matter anymore. He made it clear to me tonight."

"The fool." Viktor said holding her hand tightly in his. "May I make a suggestion? I care for you Herm-own-ninny. Let me take care ov you. No one need know, other than your friends that this is not my child. I love you." he said with such sincerity that she started crying again.

"I am so sorry Viktor. I never meant for this to happen."

"I know." he said holding her tightly. "Marry me?"

The question made Hermione slightly dizzy. Here was a man, a good man who cared for her. Loved her even. There was no hope with Draco. He was lost to her. Her child needed a father. But marry him?

"I can't get married just yet." she said running her hand along his smooth jaw line. "But I would like some help. We can talk about things like that later alright?"

His eyes lit up. "You haff made me very happy! I cannot wait to tell my parents." he smiled and hugged her tightly.

She returned the smile weakly.

Hermione fell asleep in her own bed, still inhaling the musky scent Draco had left on her pillow those many months ago. Every time she thought of the harsh words he had spoken to her she started to cry again. Everyone had been very understanding with her and were almost treating her like she was made of glass. They brought her food and forced her to eat. They made sure she took vitamin potion and got enough sleep. Molly was especially nurturing towards her. Hermione had not told her mother and father yet. No one mentioned Draco at all, EVER, under strict orders from Harry. Viktor had stayed with her, keeping at a respectable distance until she was ready to let him in. Which if you asked anyone living at number 12 was not any time soon.

After another month of living in denial an owl swooped in the window and dropped several letters on the dining table.

"Mail." Ron called out to the house. Harry, Ginny, Viktor, Molly, Arthur and finally Hermione appeared in the dining room to collect their letters.

Hermione's hands trembled as she gripped the letter with the purple ministry seal. Her hands were so shaky that the envelope nearly tore in two. She read through bloodshot eyes.

_Hermione Granger,_

_You are hereby requested to attend a hearing at the ministry of magic next Friday at 9am. The charges are being brought against Severus Snape for the murders of Albus Dumbledore, Neville Longbottom, Minerva McGonagall and the attempted murder of Draco Malfoy. As a witness you will be called and will be asked to tell the story to the Wizengamot._

_Thank you for your time,_

_Rufus Scrimgeour_

_Minister of Magic_

Her eye filled with tears as she looked around at everyone, who had also gotten identical letters.

"Do I have to?" she asked Harry?

"I'm afraid so Hermione. The trial will be highly publicized. And you will be a key witness."

"Will…._he_ be there?" she asked softly.

"Snape?" Harry asked. Hermione shook her head no.

"Possibly. I'm sure he would want to see the person who attacked him sentenced to life in Azkaban."

"Oh." she said quietly. It was the first mention of him since she went to the manor a month or so ago.

"We can ask the court to remove him for your testimony if you want." Harry said.

"No. I'll be alright." she said with that same blank look in her eyes.

"I vill go with you." Viktor told her as he tried to catch her eye.

"Okay." Hermione said. She didn't feel like having a confrontation with Viktor at the moment. She walked silently up to her room not knowing that Viktor was following close behind. Hermione had not told Viktor directly that Draco Malfoy was the man she was in love with. But through the grapevine of the house he knew. But he never mentioned it to her. As she walked in the room she flopped on the bed and sobbed. Viktor closed the door behind him and sat at the end of the bed. He loved Hermione so much that he longed for her to return the feelings. But he would have to wait until she was ready.

"Herm-own-ninny? Vat is the matter? Vat can I do to help?" he said in his soothing voice.

"Nothing. No one can do anything." she sniffed. He was boring holes into her with his deep, dark eyes.

"Let me try." he said reaching for her hand. Surprisingly she did not pull away. He pulled her until her head rested on his chest, and he was stroking her hair lovingly.

"Let me in Herm-own-ninny." Viktor said raising her head to be level with his. Hermione noticed how sincere his eyes were. She needed help. She needed support. And she knew that Viktor would accept any relationship she was willing to give to him.

She ran her hand across his face, and up to his short dark hair.

"Who taught you to be so wonderful?" she asked in a trembling voice. He smiled at her before leaning in for a soft kiss on her cheek. She turned her head at the last second and let her lips graze his lightly. No spark filled her body. It didn't light her soul on fire. It was nice but it was missing something.

"Thank you." she said to him. "For being here. It means a lot."

"You are velcome." he said in reply. "If you need anything, I'll be dovnstairs."

Hermione nodded before lying back on her pillow. She needed something, and Viktor wasn't it. She needed Draco. But Viktor would have to do for now.

A week passed and it was the morning of the trial. Hermione fussed in front of her mirror, pulling her hair into a severe bun at the nape of her neck. She put on a taupe blouse and skirt and tan low heeled shoes. She was the last one to be ready, as was usually the case anymore. Everyone else was waiting in the sitting room for her. They were using the floo to get to the ministry. Viktor took her by the hand and squeezed it reassuringly. She forced a smile before stepping into the flames after shouting their destination.

Viktor and Hermione landed abruptly in the lobby of the ministry. Harry and Ginny had gone before them. Ron and Luna after, followed by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Hagrid was waiting for them near the fountain. Remus and Tonks arrived just a moment later. It was 8:45am. Everyone had arrived and they were waiting to enter the courtroom. It was swimming with people outside. All waiting to get a glimpse of the trial. Fortunately, no reporters were allowed inside. The large group passed by as quickly as possible. The courtroom was empty but for a few people setting up chairs. Hermione scanned the room looking for Draco. He was not there yet. She inhaled and exhaled deeply before taking a seat next to Viktor. He gripped her hand and brought it up to his mouth kissing it sweetly. People began filling the seats around them. More order members, the Weasley twins, Bill and Fleur, Charlie, a few Hogwart's professors, even some Aurors filled in the empty chairs. The Auror Gawain Robards would be handling the prosecution.

"Good, good…you are all here." Gawain said excitedly. "Now I will call you, in no particular order, to testify to what happened. Obviously, two of your ranks cannot be here to testify. And the one survivor does not remember anything, so I am counting on the lot of you to do some damage."

"We understand." Harry said trying to get him off the topic of Draco Malfoy.

"Five minutes." Gawain said giving the group a thumbs up.

Hermione's stomach was full on knots. She felt like she was going to be ill. She inhaled and exhaled deeply. An exercise that Cho had taught her when she felt like she was going to throw up. So far it was working and she was thankful for that.

Just as she was getting over her latest nausea spell Draco walked through the heavy wooden doors. His cold eyes scanned the room, landing on the group of them sitting there. He caught her eye for a brief moment, and for a second she thought she saw some sign of recognition. But just as quickly as it started, he turned to look away, leaving her wanting more.

'I have to keep my composure.' she thought. 'I can't let these feelings keep me from putting Snape in Azkaban for life.' she patted her belly, which was just starting to show signs of her condition. 'That's your daddy over there sweetheart.' she thought. 'Take a good look, it may be the last time you see him.'

At that moment the Wizengamot filed into their respective places. Scrimgeour sat in the middle. Percy Weasley was at his right and Umbridge at his left. Several more witches and wizards sat in the other seats on either side.

"Robards? Please start." Scrimgeour said firmly.

Gawain waved his wand and a cage emerged from the floor. Inside of that cage, which was filled with spikes aimed towards the prisoner, was Snape. He looked ragged. Bags were under his hollow eyes. Hermione shot daggers at him with her eyes.

"This man, Severus Snape, this thing you see in front of you has been accused of many things. The most serious being helping he-who-must-not-be-named to further his evil plans. He murdered, by use of the 'Avada Kedavra' curse, Albus Dumbledore. Headmaster of Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. Order of Merlin, first class. Supreme Mugwump of the International confederation of Wizards. Chief Warlock of this very Wizengamot. And star of many chocolate frog cards. He murdered Minerva McGonagall. She was a long time teacher and Deputy Headmistress at Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry and a high member of the Order of the Phoenix. And Neville Longbottom, a young member of the order, son to Alice and Frank Longbottom; former Aurors. Neville had his whole life in front of him and he fought bravely against he-who-must-not-be-named in a battle just prior to the attack. This man had no regard for human life. And let's not forget his fourth victim. A young man with a promising future. A young man that he slashed with a dark curse leaving him for dead. This young man, Draco Malfoy" he pointed at Draco "was in a coma for three days after hours of potions and mending failed to work. And when he did emerge from his near death experience he remembered nothing of the previous year. He didn't remember Death Eaters killing his mother and Severus Snape standing there ordering it. He didn't remember living on the run for a year hiding out from the Death Eaters. He doesn't remember this young lady finding him in South America and bringing him back here to be cured. He doesn't remember helping Harry Potter find the missing pieces to the puzzle that ultimately led to he-who-must-not-be-named's downfall. And perhaps most sadly he doesn't remember that he fell in love with this young lady and was planning a future with her."

Hermione looked quickly over at Draco. But his eyes stayed straight ahead, and his face was marred with a scowl. He obviously didn't like what he was hearing. She turned her head back to face forward and took several deep breaths to control her tears.

Gawain called Harry first and he told a tale that kept everyone riveted to their seats. Ron was next, followed by Luna, Ginny, Remus, Tonks, Hagrid, and the Weasleys. They each told a heart wrenching tale of betrayal and loss. Molly cried through the last half of her testimony. Then it was Hermione's turn. Gawain called her but she didn't move. She sat there stuck to her seat not wanting to get up and talk in front of this courtroom of people. Especially when she could feel his eyes burning into her.

"Miss Granger? If you please…" he said motioning for her to sit in a seat off to the left of where Snape's cage was. She stood up and walked to the seat, trembling from head to toe. She kept her eyes down, not wanting to see if he was looking at her.

"Please state your name." Gawain said.

"My name is Hermione Granger." she took a deep breath "And this monster deserves to die."


	28. Breaking the news

**Disclaimer; I own nothing! I take that back. I own Hermione's unborn child...**

**A/N- Hello everyone! I hope you are all having a nice summer. Only two chapters left to this story****:( But I promise to make them good. Hey, are there any Ginny/Draco fans out there? Yes? Good! A freind of mine is writing a story that is Ginny/Draco. It is called 'Forbidden game, hidden secrets, nothing but lies.' The Story ID# is 1284447. I would love it if you would all read it (the whole thing, not just the first chapter because it starts slow, but gets better) and review. She is working very hard on it and getting little encouragment in return. So if you have a chance please read it and review. Ok, enough of my author's note...on with the story. Happy reading and don't forget to review!

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Breaking the News

The court was dead silent as Hermione started to speak.

"I was in South America, being followed by death eaters. Hiding out in a dingy pub I came across an injured Draco Malfoy. I hastily decided to bring him back to the Order's headquarters and nurse him back to health. He was a right pain in the arse but he was sincere, and I grew to like him, and then to love him He was my first lover and now he doesn't even remember. He was with us when Neville and Professional McGonagall were killed, and he tried to keep me safe." Tears flowed from her already red eyes.

"He doesn't remember our first kiss, or me healing him after the death eaters attacked him. He doesn't remember accidentally falling into the bathtub with me shortly after I found him. He doesn't remember visiting his mother's tomb and helping catch Bellatrix LeStrange. And he doesn't remember making love to me. Sometimes I think it would be better had he died. I have to suffer with the knowledge that he hates me now because he doesn't remember. If he had died I would at least have the memories of him exactly as he was. Not the hateful man he is now. I know that is selfish but everyone has a selfish moment once and a while. This man in front of you does not deserve to live. He took away my future and I will forever hate him. He killed Neville Longbottom. He killed Minerva McGonagall. He killed Albus Dumbledore. And he killed Draco Malfoy. He killed the Draco Malfoy I knew anyway."

Then Hermione broke down and sobbed. Several men handed her tissues. She dabbed at her eyes as she looked up. Draco's face had taken on an odd expression. Like he was feeling something. Pity? Love? She didn't know.

"Is there anything else you would like to say to the court Miss Granger?" Gawain said sympathetically.

"No. I just want to forget he exists. I hope he thinks of me, of us every day he is imprisoned in Azkaban. But after this day I will never think of him again." she said flatly walking off the podium and towards her seat.

"You did vell." Viktor said as she sat down. Hermione smiled at him.

"Thanks."

Several people in the room were wiping their eyes after Hermione's testimony. They felt sorry for her, and they were looking at Snape with renewed disgust.

"Thank you Miss Granger for that moving testimony. Does the accused have anything to say in his defense?" Gawain asked.

Snape looked around the room through his cage.

"The Dark Lord will rise again. I may not be alive to see it…but he will return to full power and glory. And then it will be you who will be imprisoned. You who will be sorry." he laughed manically.

"If that is all…" Scrimgeour said "then I have no choice but to sentence Severus Snape to life imprisonment in Azkaban prison. No Visitors will be allowed. And no amenities will be allowed in his 6 by 6 cell. May the gods have mercy on you." he finished banging his gavel on the table. Wizengamot members filed out of the courtroom. Hermione took Viktor's hand and proceeded to the double doors. Draco was just a few people a head of her. She smelled his musky scent on the air and it made her tear up again.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked tapping her on the shoulder.

She looked away from Draco and down to the floor.

"I'm fine. Just take me home please." she sighed as Draco walked out of her line of sight. Harry's was saddened by Hermione's obvious sadness. They made their way back into the lobby and used the floo to get back home. Hermione went straight up to her room and shut the door behind her.

"Vat should I do Harry?" Viktor asked. Hermione's emotional state was overwhelming him.

"Leave her be mate." Harry said. "She needs time to think. Plus the hormones from the pregnancy are complicating things even more for her. She will come around." They walked into the dining room where Mrs. Weasley and Tonks had already begun to prepare lunch.

Up in Hermione's room a letter was waiting for Hermione. It was from her parents. She tore open the envelope as she realized she had not owled them in over a month.

_Hermione,_

_We are very worried about you. You said in your last letter that you would visit soon and we have not heard from you. Please let us know if you are alright. I know things are going on that we do not understand, but visit us soon. We love you so much._

_Mum and Dad_

The guilt set in Hermione's heart. Her parents had no idea what was going on in their own daughter's life. She decided she needed her mother and father to know what had happened. She scribbled a note back and ran downstairs.

"Harry, I need to go visit my parents. I'll be back soon alright?"

"I'll go with you." Harry replied.

"No need."

"Then I vill." Viktor spoke up. "You need to tell them about 'our' baby."

The words just didn't sound right coming out of Viktor's mouth.

"Fine. Let's go Viktor." he followed her to the front door and Viktor grabbed a hold of Hermione's hand. She concentrated on her parent's home. And a moment later they were there.

Viktor had never seen a muggle house. He was surprised how cozy it looked, even in the blistering heat of the summer. Hermione marched up to the door and opened it.

"Mum, dad?" she called. Hermione's mum Katherine and her dad Richard entered the hall from the living room. Katherine started to cry when she saw her baby girl.

"Hermione!" she called running to hug her daughter. Richard followed suit and they both looked at Viktor with interest.

"Mum, dad this is Viktor Krum. Viktor these are my parents Katherine and Richard."

Viktor kissed Katherine's hand and shook Richards.

"It is a pleasure to meet you." he said.

"You too." Katherine replied. "Where are you from Viktor?"

"Bulgaria. I met Herm-own-ninny during the tri-vizard tournament."

"Wonderful." Richard said kindly. "Let's go sit down. We haven't seen our Hermione in quite a while. She has been very busy saving the world." he joked.

"Yes, she is vonderful." Viktor replied grabbing Hermione's hand. She had begun to sweat and feel ill.

'Deep breaths.' she thought 'I just have to get through this.'

Richard and Katherine led the couple to the living room where they motioned for them to sit. Hermione sat on the love seat, Viktor next to her. Richard and Katherine across from them on the sofa.

"So what have you been doing dear? Your last letter was a bit vague. How is your friend Draco? You mentioned he was in the hospital, is he doing better?"

That was the topic she wanted to avoid.

"He's all better, but we aren't friends anymore. I just finished with the trial to put the person responsible for his injuries in prison forever. I would rather not talk about it to tell you the truth." she said biting her lip. Her mum knew that meant she was nervous and anxious.

"Okay, so something else must be on your mind for you to bring your handsome friend home to meet us." Katherine said.

"There is something." Hermione said looking down at the floor. And it's rather important.

"What is it dear?" Richard inquired.

"Well, Viktor here is more than a friend." She hated lying to her parents.

"Is he now?" Katherine said smiling.

"Yes. We are rather close. As a matter of fact…" she took a deep breath "I love him."

"Do I hear wedding bells?" Katherine said practically glowing.

"It's possible." Hermione said faking a smile. "But that's not what we wanted to tell you. And I know it may come as a bit of a shock."

The smile slid from her parent's face. Katherine had a sixth sense of what was about to come.

"I'm pregnant." Hermione finally managed to say.

"I see." Richard said leaning back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest. Not a good sign.

"I, I mean we didn't mean for it to happen. We took precautions…" Hermione said.

"Hermione. I thought we taught you better than this. Didn't we teach you to wait until marriage for that sort of thing?"

Hermione could hear the disappointment in her mother's voice.

"You did mum. But it was all so quick. We were facing death. Everyone was stressed out and not thinking clearly. I am sorry. But the fact is I am two months pregnant. I want you to be happy for me. It's a girl." she told her parents.

Katherine began to cry.

"A girl? Oh Hermione…" tears filled her brown eyes that were identical to Hermione's.

"Dad?" Hermione asked. "How do you feel?"

"I am disappointed. But you are a big girl. And we will be there for you. I can't believe I'm about to become a grandfather. I'm only 45!" he grinned and then they all laughed.

The rest of the afternoon was quite pleasant. They ate a bit of supper. And then it was time for the couple to leave.

"You take care of her." Richard said shaking Viktor's hand. "And that baby."

"Yes sir." Viktor said.

"Visit us often. You still are staying at Harry's?" Katherine asked Hermione.

"Yes. For now." she smiled.

"Write us every week and we will go shopping for baby things soon."

"Alright mum. I love you."

"I love you too." she said hugging Hermione. "And Viktor, feel free to visit us as well. After all we are about to become family."

"Thank you." he said

"Shall we go?" Hermione said putting on another fake smile.

"Yes. Goodbye." Viktor said waving at Hermione's parents before they apperated back to number 12 Grimmauld place.

Harry, Ginny, Ron and Luna were waiting anxiously for Hermione and Viktor to return. And when they did everyone tried to ask questions at once.

"Did her dad go ballistic?"

"Did your mum cry Hermione?"

"Did they accept Viktor?"

Hermione waved her hands around telling everyone to be quiet.

"Everything is fine. They were upset at first but they like Viktor. Now if you all don't mind I am going to take a shower and a nap. I am really tired."

"Okay 'Mione. Night." Harry said.

The rest of them stayed down to talk to Viktor. All Hermione wanted was to be left alone with her thoughts of Draco.

The nightmare where Voldemort kills her baby girl with Draco plagued her often. Seeing Draco as an older man made her feel even emptier when she woke up. She tried to clear her mind before she went to sleep but it always snuck into her head when she was fast asleep. And try as she might she couldn't get the silvery orbs out of her mind.


	29. Emily

**Disclaimer; I own nothing!**

**A/N There is only one chapter after this one...and it is a loooooong one. LOL. I really enjoyed writing it. Happy reading and don't forget to review!

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Emily

The months of her pregnancy went by slowly. It was as if every movement of the baby was a constant painful reminder that she was alone. Viktor had been more wonderful than she could have imagined. He lovingly talked to the baby at night as she lay on her bed. He would put his head to Hermione's stomach and talk in fluent Bulgarian. Sometimes she could feel the baby moving as if doing cartwheels and flips inside of her. By about the fifth month she could feel kicking quite often. Hermione rarely left number 12 Grimmauld place, other than to visit Cho at her office and her parents. It had become her new home. Viktor had surprised her one day by bringing home a white washed oak crib with pink and yellow bedding. He struggled to assemble it before Hermione laughed, grabbed his wand and finished it herself. All she had anymore were these brief moments of joy sandwiched between longer periods of absolute dread. The farther along her pregnancy became, the more anxious she was about her uncertain future as a single parent.

She was nearing the end of her eighth month the following spring. And everyone staying in the house had learned to keep their distance from her. Every minute of the day she displayed another mood. Viktor had given up on trying to convince her to marry him. The last time he had asked she ended up in tears, throwing household objects at him. So for now he was content just to be able to lie with her in bed and feel her growing child.

On this spring morning Hermione was sitting on the sofa. Magical knitting needles were working away on a yellow bonnet for the baby. She was sipping tea and feeling quite content for once. Ginny and Harry were on the loveseat cuddled up snugly. Hermione felt a twinge of annoyance.

'Stupid couples' she thought 'Rubbing their happiness in my face.'

Her emotions were so all over the place that she paid them no mind usually.

"Everything okay?" Ginny asked cautiously.

"Mmmhmm." Hermione said not looking at them. "Just fine thanks. I think my daughter's going to be an acrobat though. I don't think she's sat still for two minutes since I've been pregnant."

Harry and Ginny both giggled a bit. They had made an art of keeping Hermione calm and happy. Hermione tried to get up off of the couch but struggled a bit. She was still not used to the massive weight that hung in front of her. She finally managed to get off the couch and walked slowly into the kitchen to make herself some more tea and maybe some toast. Viktor was in the kitchen sitting at the table pouring over the Quidditch section of The Daily Prophet. He had taken the season off from playing to take care of Hermione. Even though she insisted she didn't need all the fussing. Viktor had insisted on coming to every appointment she had with Cho. And buying her every little thing her heard desired for the baby. Including a miniature set of quidditch robes, emblazoned with the Bulgarian flag. He had been everything a normal girl would have wanted. But he still wasn't Draco. And Hermione just couldn't get past that.

Near the middle of May Hermione's stomach was aching. Not just aching but throbbing. She was pacing the floor of her room rubbing her stomach and talking to the baby.

"Shhhh…just settle down now. Everything is going to be fine. Just quiet down."

Unfortunately it wasn't helping. After a few hours of pain she called for Harry and Ron. They entered the room carefully, not knowing what they had done to be called into her room. She had done not much else but yell at them for the past five months.

"What is it 'Mione?" Ron asked. His blue eyes sparkled with concern for one of his oldest friends.

"I think we need to owl Cho. I think I am going into labor." she said rubbing her stomach to calm the pain.

"Serious Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Yes. Tell her to come quickly." she replied.

"Won't she want to meet us at St. Mungo's?" Ron asked.

"I am NOT going to St. Mungo's. I will have the baby here. Now please hurry." she said impatiently.

"Ok. We will get her here as soon as possible. Just lay down for now okay?" Harry said walking out the door and practically running into Viktor.

"Vat is going on?" Viktor asked.

"The baby is coming. They are getting Cho to come here." she said smiling for once.

"Now? The baby is coming now?" he asked excitedly.

"Yes."

"Vonderful!" he said, a huge smile playing across his face. "Can I get you anything?"

"Maybe some more pillows. And a glass of water." she said. Viktor waved his wand and 10 or so pillows appeared along with a pitcher of water and a glass on her nightstand.

"That's a lot of pillows!" she mused

"I vant you to be comfortable." he said placing some of the pillows behind her back to prop her up.

"Thank you." she smiled. But inside her soul was crying. Crying out for Draco, wishing he was there to witness the birth of his daughter. She had not heard anything from him, not that she expected to, but no one had even witnessed him leaving the manor anymore. He had become a recluse.

About twenty minutes passed before Cho showed up.

"How are you doing Hermione?" she smiled as she opened her healer's bag.

"Okay. Pains started in the night. I just thought they were false contractions. But then they didn't stop." she said rubbing her stomach again. Cho lifted her white night dress and put a listening device similar to a stethoscope on her stomach.

"She sounds good and strong. Her heartbeat is normal." Cho said putting the device back in the bag. She gave her a quick exam before letting Harry, Ron and Ginny back in the room. Cho gave them a nod and asked where the restroom was. Harry pointed her in the right direction before kneeling next to Hermione's bed.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"Okay. Hi Ginny." she said smiling at the red head who was nervously waiting at the end of the bed.

"Are you in much pain?" Ginny asked her.

"Not much." Hermione replied. Viktor grabbed a hold of her left hand.

"If you haff pain, squeeze my hand ok?"

"Do you want to have use of that hand in the future Viktor?" Ron said jokingly.

"Shut up Ron." Hermione replied.

The pain was unbearable for her. Not the physical pain. The mental pain of not having Draco there with her for his daughter's birth. Cho came back minutes later and gave Hermione a pain relieving potion. Reluctantly she took it. The hours ticked by slowly with Ron, Harry, Ginny and Viktor keeping her company in shifts. They played games, talked tried to keep her spirits up but inside she just couldn't shake her sense of dread. Finally she was ready to push. Cho cleared the room except for Viktor.

"One the count of three Hermione. One…two…three…push." Cho said.

Hermione did as she was told. Even though she was exhausted. Even though she didn't want to see her baby. She was terrified to see her. Inside she prayed that the baby looked like her. Forty minutes of hard pushing later she heard a tiny cry.

"She's beautiful." Viktor said lovingly in Hermione's ear.

She saw Cho hold up a tiny bundle at the end of the bed. She was wrapped tightly in a pink blanket before she was handed to Hermione. She was hesitant to reach out for the infant. Scared to look at her. Viktor squeezed her hand reassuringly. She took the tiny baby gently and placed her on her chest.

"Hello Emily." Hermione said softly. The baby opened her eyes and Hermione's worst fears were realized. Silvery blue pools looked sleepily back at her. Panicking, Hermione took the blanket off of the baby's head and stared at the platinum baby fine hair on top of her little girls head.

Low muffled sobs came from within Hermione's chest.

"Take her." she said to Viktor.

"Hermione," Cho started "She needs to nurse."

"I…uh…I don't think I can right now." she stuttered trying to regain her composure.

"You can and you will." Cho said firmly. She had seen it many times. Young single mothers afraid of what they have gotten themselves into. "Besides, the baby's father is here with you. He can help won't you Viktor?"

Viktor nodded. He had convinced himself that this was his child, but Cho's words only made Hermione feel worse.

"And I need a name for the records Hermione." Cho said scribbling on some parchment with a quill.

"Emily, Emily Narcissa"

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Miles and miles away at Malfoy Manor Draco had fallen into a deep depression. Something was missing from his very soul but he didn't know what it was. He stayed around the house alone. He had even dismissed all of the house elves and did things for himself. The house was dark and empty. He walked the halls and corridors finally making his way to the kitchen. Then a like a camera flash he saw himself standing there with a wand pointed at Snape. He shook his head trying to remember more but nothing came to him. Someone was with him in that flash. Potter and Weasley and…and Granger. Was that a real memory?

'Can't be.' he thought grabbing some food and heading back to the library.

* * *

Back at number 12 Grimmauld place Hermione had fallen into a routine with the baby. She fed her, changed her, rocked her to sleep, but in the same sentence she had kept her emotional distance from Emily. Viktor helped out immensely, as did everyone else in the house. But they could all see Hermione slipping into a hole that she may never come out of.

One day Ginny was rocking the baby to sleep. Emily was nearlythree months old now and everyone had fallen completely in love with her. Everyone except the person that mattered the most. Hermione was in her usual spot, staring into the fire.

"Hermione." Ginny said trying hard not to wake up the baby.

Hermione didn't even look at her.

"HERMIONE!" Ginny yelled. The baby stirred but did not wake.

Hermione turned her head to look at Ginny. She didn't look at the baby sleeping on her lap.

"What Ginny?" she asked annoyed that she had been disturbed from staring into the flames.

"I have had enough. This is _your_ daughter! You hardly hold her. You don't look at her; you act as if she means nothing to you. Just because Malfoy is not here with you is no reason to mistreat his daughter. Now march upstairs and shower because you are taking your daughter to the park. GO!" Ginny said forcefully. Hermione just blinked at her friend. No one had mentioned Draco in the house in over a year. She stood up still looking at Ginny and made her way upstairs. Hermione showered and put on clean clothes before going back down to the sitting room. Ginny had dressed Emily in a cute pink summer dress and bonnet and strapped her into the buggy Viktor had bought.

"It's a beautiful day Hermione. And you have a perfectly healthy beautiful daughter. You can't dwell on him for the rest of your life and ignore her. You haven't even taken her to see your parents yet."

Hermione looked down sheepishly. She had neglected everyone the past few months.

"Take her to see them Hermione. You know they are hurting." Ginny said compassionately.

Hermione nodded and took hold of the stroller. Without trying she apperated her and Emily to her parents house. Both cars were in the driveway so she knew they were home. She pushed the baby up to the door and opened the door.

"Mum, dad? Anyone home?" she called. Emily cooed and giggled.

Katherine came running down the steps.

"Hermione? Is that you? Oh, Richard come quick, Hermione is here!" she said. Her eyes were filled with tears as she hugged her only daughter. "Why haven't you been by? All we've heard from you is by letter. I have been so worried." She planted kisses all over her daughter's face.

Hermione's dad entered the room and hugged her.

"I'm so sorry if we did anything to keep you away so long." he said.

"No, it was me being stupid." she admitted.

"Our Hermione stupid? No." Richard said firmly.

"I was. Look I need to tell you something." she said nervously.

"Well let's go into the sitting room then dear." her mum said. Just then she caught sight of the buggy. "Oh Hermione! You brought the baby?" Hermione could see the joy in her mum's face.

"Yes, I brought her. Why don't I introduce her properly in the other room?"

They walked into the other room and Hermione brought Emily out of the buggy.

"Mum, Dad this is Emily Narcissa. Emily, these are your grandparents." she said holding the baby out for her mum to pick up and cuddle.

"She's just beautiful, but I thought she would be darker, like her father." Katherine said kissing the baby softly on the head.

"That's what I wanted to tell you. Viktor is not her father. We have never gone that far. The truth is my friend, Draco, is her father. He was hurt and lost his memory. He doesn't remember that we were together and I haven't seen him since Snape's trial." she said with a heavy heart.

"Did you tell him you were pregnant?" Richard asked.

"Yes dad. But the truth is we used to hate each other, and since his injury he still thinks we do. I told him I was pregnant and he said it wasn't his before he threw me out of his home." tears were filling her large brown eyes. "Viktor offered to be her father, and at the time I thought it was a good idea, but now I realize that I am just leading him on. I have no feelings for him other than a good friend."

"I see." Richard said. "Who is going to support the baby then? Shouldn't he have to pay something for her?"

"Dad…just let it be." she replied.

Katherine handed Emily to Richard. The small girl smiled and cooed at her grandfather melting his heart.

"So why haven't you been here before now?" her mother asked.

"I don't know…" Hermione lied. "I just have had things to work through. I was in love with her father. And I have no resolution with him. And to make things worse…she is the spitting image of him."

Richard and Katherine both looked over Emily. Her white blonde hair was slightly wavy. And her silvery blue eyes twinkled with the hidden secrets of the world.

"He must have been very handsome." Katherine sighed looking at her granddaughter.

"He was. But he is in the past. And I need to move on with the future right?"

Her parents looked at her and nodded.

* * *

When she finished her visit she apperated behind number 12 and made her way to the park. The same park she and Harry had chased Draco to all that time ago. It seemed like ages ago. Several young mothers were there with their kids. Pushing them on swings and such. A few wandered over to look at baby Emily. They 'ooohed' and 'ahhed' at her extreme beauty. Her pale skin and mesmerizing eyes entranced everyone who saw her. Hermione was finally starting to feel better about herself and her child. She sat there on the park bench talking to her as the sun was just starting to set.

"Emily, sweetheart, I'm so sorry that mommy has been acting the way I have. I promise I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I know one day you will ask about your daddy. And one day I will have to relive what we went through. But until then you will have all of me from now on."

The baby smiled at her melting every doubt and insecurity that she had before. She was getting ready to put the baby back in the buggy when something caught her eye. Or rather someone. Someone with platinum lighting hair and her daughter's eyes.


	30. The Flood

**Disclaimer; I own nothing!**

**A/N Most of you were probably expecting an update to 'Beautiful'. But I have some fine tuning to do on the next chapter soinstead of giving you nothing at all I am giving you the final chapter to this story.**

**Here it is. The last chapter of this story. I hope you all liked this story as well as I did. This last chapter is probably different from what everyone expected, more or less. Pay attention to the last word of the story, I finished it a'la JK Rowling (in book seven at least)! I had fun writing it. Happy reading and review, review, review!**

**A big thanks to SVELTE who was my 1000th reviewer! Thanks so much!**

**(p.s. Right now I have no sequel planned. I am going to work on my other stories for a while. But you never know in the future. ;)

* * *

**

The Flood

Draco was unsure of what had drawn him to that park in the late days of summer. He had a strong sense of deja'vu as he wandered around the lush green lawns. He had never been there before as far as he knew, but something was there, something had drawn him there. It was the first time he had ventured out of the manor in quite a while. Dressed all in black he stood out among the summer colors of the other people in the park. The sun was setting in the sky as he sat and watched the muggles with their children. In the distance the heard a magical sound. A pop. The sound of someone apperating. And that someone showed up to the park a few minutes later. It was Granger, and she was pushing a buggy. She sat and cuddled the tiny baby for a few minutes while he watched in silence. But then she stood up, and her eyes connected with his. And then 'bam' it hit him. He felt slightly dizzy; flashes of memories came flooding into his brain. A flash of Snape ordering his mum's death. A flash of collapsing in a pub and a girl wiping his face with a wet cloth. A flash of waking up in Harry Potter's house. A flash of Granger healing him and wrapping his wounds. A flash of dinner with Potter, and Weasley and Granger. A flash of falling into the bathtub with Granger. A flash of a mirror with a reflection of him, Granger and three children. A flash of a confrontation with Snape. Over and over these flashes invaded his brain. He fell to his knees holding his head. Too much information was flowing into his head at once. A flash of kissing Granger and her kissing him back. A flash of him making love to her. A flash of turning into Weasley and getting a new wand in Diagon Alley. A flash of confronting his aunt near his mum's tomb. A flash of Dementors swarming.

Across the park Hermione saw him holding his head and then falling to his knees. She wondered what was the matter. She started pushing Emily towards him thinking he was ill.

He felt like his eyes would pop out of his head at any moment. More and more memories came streaming into his head. His vision blurred and then blackness…

Hermione saw him fall to the ground and her heart nearly stopped. Some of the other mothers looked over at him. One of them yelled for someone to call an ambulance.

"NO!" Hermione yelled. "He's a friend of mine. I'll take care of him."

The woman looked at Hermione like she was mad, but she didn't care. She used her wand from behind the buggy to get him to his feet and mimic him walking along.

"See, he's walking. He'll be fine." She held him up with one hand and pushed Emily with the other. Soon they were at the doorstep of number 12 Grimmauld place. She pushed the door open and called for help.

"Harry, Ginny, Ron? Anyone? I need help!" she called. They all ran into the sitting room where she pushed an unconscious Draco onto the floor.

"What the…" Harry started. "Where did he come from?"

"In the park. I was there with Emily and I saw him and he just looked like something was hurting his head and then he collapsed. I don't know what happened."

Hermione's face was white with fear.

"Help me get him on the couch Ron." Harry said. Ron grabbed his feet and Harry grabbed his arms and they placed him on the sofa.

"What is wrong with him Harry?" Hermione asked. Emily started to fuss.

"I don't know 'Mione. Ginny can you get me some cold water and some washcloths?"

Ginny nodded and ran off to the kitchen, retuning a moment later with the items. Hermione dipped the rag into the cool water and wiped his face off. He stirred slightly and leaned into the coolness of the washrag. She was terrified of how he would react when he came to.

"Owl Cho Ginny. I don't know what happened, but it can't be good."

Faint voices and visions swarmed in Draco's brain. It was like being locked in a nightmare that he just couldn't wake up from. Months and months of solitude, loneliness, missing a vital piece of his soul. He heard voices around him but was unable to open his eyes. The flowery scent of a familiar perfume lingered in the air. And the woodsy smell of a place he was sure he had been to before. Something cool touched his face and he welcomed the sensation. He tried desperately to open his eyes, but his body just would not cooperate with him. Soon he fell back into his thoughts and could hear nothing else.

Cho arrived within minutes of receiving the owl.

"What happened Hermione?" she asked looking Draco over.

"I don't know. I was in the park with Emily and he saw us, and then it looked like something was hurting. He gripped his head and then passed out." she replied in a worrisome tone.

"Well his heartbeat is strong. And his color is good…well good for him. He always was a bit pale." Cho snickered. "He may have had a memory come back to him. Or several at once. Something like a flood breaking a dam. When he comes around we will see." she finished before taking a seat across from him.

Hermione put Emily to sleep and sat in front of the couch waiting for Draco to stir. It was several hours before he showed any signs of life.

And when his eyes slowly opened he saw her. He saw her sitting beside him. Eyes red from crying and stress and lack of sleep. He saw her resting her hand on top of his. He saw her. His Hermione. And he remembered everything.

She saw his eyes open and pulled away her hand in fear. Cho said he 'might' remember some things. And she didn't want to scare him by touching him too soon. He raised his head slightly and looked at his surroundings. Hermione was seated on the floor beside the sofa. Harry and Ginny watched curiously from the love seat. Ron was sitting by the window waiting for something to happen. And Cho was in the chair across from him.

"What happened?" he asked sleepily.

"Do you remember anything?" Cho asked cautiously.

"I was in a park…" he said. "Why was I there?"

"Do you remember anything else? Do you know the people in this room?" she asked continuing to examine him.

"Of course. Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione." he said pointing around the room. Hermione's heart leapt at the sound of her name on his lips.

"Do you remember her finding you in South America a year and a half ago?" Cho asked looking in his eyes.

"Yes, why all the questions?" he growled.

Hermione couldn't wait another second. She threw herself into his arms and hugged tightly.

"What was that for?" he mused.

"I have missed you so much." she said. "Living here without you has been unbearable." tears were running down her already red eyes.

"Where have I been?" he asked. It was clear that though he may have gained back his previous memory, the past year apart from them had been lost in the flood.

"It doesn't matter." she said kissing him softly. "You are here now. And we can be a family."

"Family?" he asked. Hermione realized how much he had to learn now that he was back with her.

"Yes. Family." she smiled walking over to the cradle and picking up Emily. His eyes widened as Hermione approached him with this tiny bundle.

"Emily Narcissa, this is your daddy. Draco, this is your daughter." she handed the baby girl to him and a million emotions came rushing into him. Happiness, serenity, love, sadness, joy. His daughter looked up at him with his exact eyes.

"Hello Emily." he whispered. "Emily Narcissa?" he said looking up at Hermione. Tears welled in his eyes. She had named her after his mother. Even though he wasn't there for her. Even though the last year of his life was now as blurry as the previous year had been she had done that out of respect and love for him.

"I just don't understand how I could have been so stupid as to miss her birth." he said staring at his daughter.

"When Snape cursed you, you almost died. You lost a lot of blood and oxygen to the brain. You had amnesia. But I think with some work we can reconstruct the last year." Cho said making notes with her quill.

"No. I don't want to remember anything of my life without her, _them_." he corrected. Hermione at the two of them, she had never been so happy. This happiness lasted all of two seconds. Just then Viktor came in the room and saw her sitting there with Draco.

"Vat is this?" he asked.

"Can I have a word with you Viktor?" Hermione asked. "Be right back angel." she said to her daughter.

"Vat is going on? Vat is he doing here?" Viktor asked, no demanded.

"He has his memory back!" she gushed "Isn't it wonderful?"

"Vere does that leave me?" he asked already knowing the answer.

"Oh Viktor!" she replied giving him a big hug. "I feel like I used you. I do care for you. But I love him. And she is our daughter; she deserves to know her father."

"I see. Do you not think I haff feelings for her as vell?" he asked back. "I haff cared for her for the past few months. Does that mean nothing?"

Hermione felt her heart hurting again. He was right. He had taken time off from Quidditch. He had cared for her during Hermione's depression. He had bought Emily everything she needed. She was the only father Emily knew.

"I am so sorry Viktor. But I will never deny you seeing her. Would you be her godfather?" she asked with tears running down her cheeks.

"And vat about us? Do I mean nothing to you as vell?" his eyes were glossing too.

"You are more than a friend to me. And I care for you deeply. Just not in that way. You have been so wonderful comforting me and taking care of me when I was pregnant. But I love him." she said softly.

"I see." Viktor replied looking down on the floor.

"I'm sorry Viktor. But don't shut me out as a friend." she stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek.

"I won't" he replied walking up the back steps, presumably to collect his things. Hermione wiped her eyes and walked back into the sitting room where Emily had fallen asleep in her father's arms.

"What was that about?" Draco asked.

"I'll tell you another time. Right now I just want to sit here and enjoy watching you and our daughter." she said leaning her head on his shoulder.

* * *

They had a small wedding the following September. Just close friends and family. Hermione wore a simple white silk gown that flowed in the autumn breeze behind her. The wedding took place at the manor, after extensive renovations. The gardens were redone to make a beautiful outdoor backdrop. Roses, hydrangeas, gardenias, fragrant jasmine and lavender surrounded them during the ceremony. Draco hired a band to play soft music and the guest sat at tables surrounding the alter. They danced the night away under the stars at the reception. 

Harry, Ginny, Ron and Luna eventually got married in a double ceremony. Harry and Ron both became Aurors. Ginny stayed at home and had a little boy who they named Sirius a year later. Luna took over as editor of the 'Quibbler', still running stories on fantastic beasts and her hunts for them.

After great consideration, Draco decided to sell the manor and buy a home closer to London where Hermione was training to be a healer. They found an absolutely charming home in Wizarding London that they fell in love with right away. It was a pale blue house with a large porch and a white picket fence. She felt strongly that she had seen this house somewhere before and insisted that _this_ was their house.

Just over two years later Brennan Harry was born. A healthy boy who was the spitting image of Draco as a baby. Emily was fascinated with her baby brother and was insistent on trying to take care of him on her own.

Five and a half years later Roslyn Katherine came into the world. Hermione was completely surprised when she found out she was pregnant. This pregnancy was like no other. And Roslyn was like no other baby. She never cried, and smiled almost from the day she was born. She was the light of Hermione's life. She even took time off from working at St. Mungo's to stay home and be a full time mother. Draco was working in the ministry. Head of Magical law enforcement. One spring day she was standing on the front porch watching her kids play in the front yard. She was holding Roslyn on her hip.

"Brennan, Emily, come in and wash your hands. Dinner will be ready in a moment and your father will be home in less than a minute." she called to them. They dropped the ball and ran top speed up the front steps and into the house.

"Slow down." she said to them as they flew past. She turned to the baby. "Roslyn, what am I going to do with your brother and sister?" she asked softly. The baby giggled and cooed. She walked back into the house and put the baby in a playpen. Hermione walked into the kitchen and with a wave of her wand finished dinner. Pot roast, potatoes and green beans. She set the table and heard a large pop from the living room.

"Daddy's home!" she heard Brennan yell before the sound of two sets of feet came running down the steps.

"Daddy, daddy!" her children shouted at their father. He scooped them up into his arms and showered them with affection. Affection he missed out on as a child from his own father. Hermione walked up to him and kissed him on his pale cheek.

"Hello love." she said. "Hard day at the office?" He smiled at her.

"Yes," Draco said, "brutal." He sat down at the table. The two children followed suit.

Hermione put the baby into a highchair next to her and set the food on the table.

"Daddy," Brennan started. "When will I be old enough to go to Hogwarts?"

"Oh, I think it will be at least five years son." he said messing up his son's hair.

"You have to be eleven." Emily said with the infamous Malfoy smirk. "That means I can go in three years."

"Why does Emily get to go first?" Brennan whined.

"Because she is older." Hermione told him. "Now start eating your dinner or no quidditch practice afterwards."

Brennan began to eat despite his sister teasing him about going to school first.

When dinner was finished Hermione cleaned it up and Draco took the kids outside to play quidditch in the yard. She put the baby to sleep after a quick bath and was reading on the couch when her other two kids came running in.

"Go upstairs and get ready for bed, we'll be up to tuck you in in a minute." Draco said before making his way over to the couch where his wife was sitting.

"Hey." he said the corners of his mouth upturned in a smile. "Alone at last." He leaned in and kissed her softly momentarily taking her attention away from the book.

"Hey back." she said responding to his kiss hungrily.

"Once the kids are asleep how about opening that wine we brought back from Italy?" he suggested huskily in her ear.

"I was saving that for when Ginny and Harry stopped over but if you want to ruin our dinner party next week, be my guest." she grinned. Draco scowled.

"We had better go check on them and get them into bed. You know how they like to dawdle." Hermione said sleepily.

"Okay, let's tuck them in and get to bed ourselves." he grinned. Hermione rolled her eyes and got up off of the couch. They walked up the stairs hand in hand before she heard a scream.

Hermione broke away from Draco's grip and took the stairs two at a time. She checked Emily's room first. Emily was sitting on her bed brushing her hair.

"Who screamed?" she asked her daughter.

"I didn't hear anything mum." Emily said puzzled. Draco caught up with her.

"What is going on?"

"Someone screamed." Hermione said breathlessly running to Brennan's room. He was in bed waiting for his kiss goodnight.

"I'll be right back Brennan." she said racing to Roslyn's pink nursery. She flung open the door and put her hands over her mouth in horror.

Standing in the nursery, holding her tiny baby was Voldemort. The baby didn't make a sound as Voldemort silkily stroked her baby fine blonde hair.

"Put her down you sick fuck!" Draco said shouting and pulling his wand out of his robes.

"Shhhh…you'll wake her." Voldemort said with some kind of a putrid smile on his face.

"Give her to me." Hermione demanded. She walked right up to Voldemort, not a bit scared for herself.

"Where are your manners? You and your blood traitor husband didn't even invite me to the wedding or send me a birth announcement." he hissed.

"Are you addled in the brain? Did Azkaban do this to you?" Draco spat back. "Release my daughter now." his wand was pointed directly at Voldemort's heart.

"Put your wand away boy. It will do no good against me. You see my most faithful servant Snape escaped Azkaban and reunited my body with my last Horcrux. And to reward him, I promptly killed him and made another Horcrux to protect me."

Draco's hand was shaking a bit.

"LET HER GO!" Hermione screamed. Just then Brennan and Emily walked in the room.

"Mum, Dad? What's going on? Who is that and why is he holding Roslyn?" Emily said wide-eyed.

"GO BACK TO BED." Draco roared. The two frightened children, who had never heard their father yell, obeyed immediately.

"How sweet they are." Voldemort hissed through his teeth.

"Don't you even look at them!" Hermione shrieked. "Give me my baby!"

"How rude of me. Here she is….AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Hermione's scream shook the very foundation of the tiny house.

A jet of green light flew from Voldemort's wand towards the baby. But Roslyn continued to smile. The light hit Roslyn full in the chest, but a faint glow of white light was surrounding her. The green light couldn't penetrate it. The harder Voldemort concentrated on sending the light, the brighter the white light became. Finally he was unable to push the light any further and he let go of his wand as the white light hit him in the chest. Voldemort stumbled backwards and fell to the floor of the nursery dropping Roslyn on the way down. When she hit the floor she screamed loudly. Hermione ran over to her and scooped her up from the floor. There was blood rushing from her head. Draco aimed his wand at Voldemort stupefying him first and then binding him with invisible ropes and kicking his wand out of the way. He checked on the other kids and then owled the ministry to pick Voldemort up and escort him back to Azkaban. Hermione was in the small upstairs bathroom wiping her daughter's forehead with a cool wet cloth. The blood stopped flowing eventually, and Roslyn stopped crying. Draco helped the others get Voldemort out of the house before running upstairs to be with Hermione and the kids. Emily and Brennan were standing outside of the bathroom wide-eyed.

"Is she okay mum?" Emily asked voice full of concern for her little sister.

"I think so." Hermione said hugging Roslyn.

"What's that mum?" Brennan asked pointing at the bloody mark on Roslyn's forehead.

"She fell." Hermione said inspecting the wound closely making sure Roslyn didn't have to go to St. Mungo's.

"Interesting cut." Draco said looking at it. And it was.

Hermione lifted the rag and looked at her baby daughter's head.

"Will she have that forever?" Emily asked. Hermione looked again and nodded.

She was shocked to see what would eventually be a tiny heart shaped scar.

**The End**


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